Effective Therapy for Anxiety Disorders

Key Highlights

• Anxiety disorders are common mental health problems that affect millions of people.

• These disorders cause ongoing worry, fear, and symptoms such as a fast heartbeat, sweating, and feeling dizzy.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a very effective way to treat anxiety disorders.

• It is important to find the right therapist. Look for their qualifications and experience in treating anxiety.

• Other therapies, like mindfulness and relaxation techniques, can also help in managing anxiety.

Introduction

Anxiety disorders are common types of mental health issues. Many people deal with them. These disorders come with ongoing and extreme worry, fear, and nervousness. Often, this fear is much more than the situation deserves. People can show symptoms of anxiety like a fast heartbeat, sweating, and feeling dizzy. They may also face changes in their emotions and behavior.

Understanding Anxiety Disorders

It's important to know that feeling anxious sometimes is normal. Everyone deals with stress that can cause worry or fear. However, if these feelings last a long time and become too much to handle, it might mean you have an anxiety disorder.

Telling the difference between normal anxiety and an anxiety disorder is important. If anxiety affects your work, relationships, or how you feel in general, you should talk to a mental health professional. They can help with diagnosis and provide guidance.

Defining Anxiety and Its Impact on Daily Life

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It warns us about possible dangers. A little anxiety can be helpful. It keeps us focused and motivated. However, when anxiety is too much and lasts too long, it becomes a disorder. This can greatly affect our everyday life.

Anxiety disorders do not only cause emotional pain. The anxiety symptoms can show up in the body too. They may include a fast heart, trouble breathing, sweating, feeling dizzy, and stomach problems. These physical symptoms can make anxiety worse, creating a tough cycle to break.

Also, anxiety disorders can cause people to feel alone. They may struggle to concentrate and face challenges at work or school. Relationships might also get strained. People with anxiety may avoid social activities. It's important to understand how complex anxiety can be for better management and treatment.

Common Types of Anxiety Disorders

To better understand anxiety, we can look at some common kinds of anxiety disorders. One type is social anxiety disorder. This disorder means a strong fear and discomfort in social situations. People with social anxiety often worry a lot about being judged, humiliated, or rejected. This worry can lead them to avoid socializing.

Another common type is panic disorder. This is when someone has frequent and unexpected panic attacks. These attacks bring sudden feelings of intense fear. They can also cause physical symptoms like a fast heartbeat, sweating, shaking, and shortness of breath. Because panic attacks can happen without warning, it can cause a lot of anxiety and make people avoid situations where they have had attacks before.

There are other types of anxiety disorders too, like generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each of these disorders has its own challenges. However, they all involve excessive and persistent anxiety that disrupts everyday life.

The Role of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in Treating Anxiety

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is important for treating anxiety. It helps to find the main reasons behind anxiety disorders. In CBT, people learn to spot and question negative thoughts that make their anxiety worse. The goal of this therapy is to change any wrong thinking and adjust how they react to stress. With methods like exposure therapy and cognitive restructuring, CBT gives people the skills they need. This helps them manage their anxiety better and boosts their mental health.

Principles of CBT and Its Effectiveness

Central to cognitive behavioral therapy is the idea that our thoughts greatly affect how we feel and act. When we feel anxious, our thoughts can become twisted. This often leads to a negative view of ourselves, the world, and what might happen in the future. These wrong thoughts can make anxiety worse and help keep anxiety disorders going.

CBT therapists help people see and question these twisted thoughts. They guide them to create more balanced and realistic viewpoints. By changing negative thoughts to healthier ones, people can lower their anxiety and feel better emotionally.

Many studies show that cognitive behavioral therapy is very effective for managing anxiety. Research consistently shows that CBT helps reduce anxiety symptoms, improve coping skills, and support long-lasting recovery from anxiety disorders.

How CBT Addresses Various Anxiety Disorders

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is flexible. It can be customized to help with different anxiety disorders. For example, when dealing with generalized anxiety disorder, CBT helps people see and change their worrying thoughts. It also teaches relaxation methods to deal with physical symptoms.

For social anxiety disorder, CBT focuses on exposure therapy. This means slowly introducing people to social situations they fear. It also provides tools to help manage their anxiety. By facing these fears step by step, people can lower their anxiety and feel more comfortable in social settings.

In panic disorder, CBT helps people understand panic attacks. It addresses scary thoughts and helps develop ways to cope with physical problems. Relaxation exercises and being slowly exposed to feelings tied to panic can help individuals feel more in control. This can lower how often and how strong panic attacks happen.

Evidence-Based Treatment Approaches

Evidence-based treatment is a key part of effective therapy for anxiety. It uses methods that have been carefully tested and shown to work through scientific studies. This helps ensure that people get the best and most useful treatment options.

Mental health professionals who use evidence-based treatment keep up with the latest research and use this information in their work. When it comes to anxiety disorders, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is often seen as one of the best evidence-based treatments. It has a strong history of helping people.

Integrating Research Findings into Therapy

Integrating new research findings into therapy is very important. It helps provide the best and most current care. As our understanding of anxiety disorders and treatments changes, keeping up with research makes sure that therapies use the best approaches.

Evidence-based treatment depends a lot on research. By using the latest updates in the field, therapists can adjust treatment plans to meet each person's needs better. This helps get the best results for their patients.

Also, using research findings promotes a culture of constant improvement in mental healthcare. It pushes therapists to look at their work closely and change it based on what science shows. This can lead to better care and improve results for patients.

Tailoring Treatment to Individual Needs and Preferences

While treatment based on evidence is important, it is just as vital to tailor plans to each person’s needs and preferences. Anxiety disorders show up differently in each person. Therefore, treatment must be personal to deal with those unique challenges.

Things like cultural background, personal beliefs, and life experiences influence how a person feels about anxiety and reacts to treatment. A full assessment should look at these factors. This helps create a truly personal treatment plan.

Good communication between the person and the therapist is key. By listening to what the person worries about and what they want from therapy, the therapist can adjust the treatment plan to suit their needs. This builds a strong and supportive partnership in therapy.

Finding the Right Therapist

Finding the right therapist for your therapy journey is important. Look for someone who focuses on anxiety disorders and shares your values. This way, you can get the care that fits your needs.

When you search for a therapist, think about their way of helping people, their experience, and if they make you feel safe and supported. Having a good connection with your therapist is key for effective treatment.

Qualifications to Look For in an Anxiety Therapist

When you are choosing an anxiety therapist, it is important to focus on their qualifications. Find a licensed mental health professional who has special training and experience in treating anxiety disorders. This is important because they will understand your specific needs.

You should look for these credentials: a licensed clinical psychologist (with a Ph.D. or Psy.D.), a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), or a licensed professional counselor (LPC) who specializes in anxiety. These professionals have gone through a lot of education and training. This helps them to diagnose and treat anxiety well.

Also, think about how much experience the therapist has with the type of anxiety disorder you have. Some therapists focus on certain anxiety disorders like social anxiety or panic disorder. Their knowledge in that area can really help your treatment.

Questions to Ask a Potential Therapist

Before starting therapy, it's okay to ask a few questions to find the right therapist for you. Knowing their approach to therapy helps you see if their methods match your needs.

Don’t hesitate to ask how much experience they have treating anxiety disorders, especially the one you have. You can also ask about their success rates and how they track progress in therapy. This will give you a clearer picture of their skills and if they can help you meet your therapy goals.

Also, you can ask about their cancellation policy, session fees, and whether they take your insurance. Talking about these details early can help avoid misunderstandings and make the therapy process go more smoothly.

Complementary Therapies and Techniques

Using additional therapies along with traditional therapy can help you manage anxiety better. These methods focus on helping you relax, lowering stress, and improving your overall health, working well with the therapy you are already doing.

Some examples are mindfulness practices, relaxation exercises, and changes in your lifestyle that support your mental health. It's important to remember that these extra therapies should not take the place of traditional therapy. Instead, they should add support to your full treatment plan.

Incorporating Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques

Mindfulness is the art of focusing on the present moment. You do this without judging what you feel or think. This practice has become very popular for helping people manage anxiety. When you become more aware, you can see your thoughts and feelings clearly. You won't get swept away by them, which helps lessen their power.

There are also relaxation techniques. These include deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided meditation. These methods can help calm your nervous system. They ease the physical tension that comes with anxiety. Using these techniques regularly can help you feel more relaxed and lower your overall anxiety levels.

If you combine mindfulness with relaxation techniques in your day, you can find great ways to handle anxiety symptoms. These practices can help you feel less stressed and better overall. They allow you to take charge of your thoughts, feelings, and body. This helps stop the cycle of anxiety that can seem too strong to handle.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is a very helpful part of CBT. It helps people face the things they fear, which can lower anxiety over time. By slowly facing these fears in a safe place, people can learn that their anxiety will go down naturally.

This method breaks the habit of avoiding fears. Avoidance makes anxiety control them more. When people face their fears often, their brain starts to link these fears with less anxiety. This leads to a drop in anxiety symptoms as time goes by.

Here’s how exposure therapy usually works:

• Identify feared situations: Work with your therapist to make a list of things you fear. Start with the situations that cause the least anxiety, and work up to those that scare you the most.

• Gradual exposure: Start by facing the least feared situation on your list. Use relaxation techniques if you need to. When your anxiety lessens, move to the next situation on your list.

• Repeat exposure: Face these feared situations again and again until your anxiety gets much lower. Doing this consistently helps train your brain and reduces anxiety.

DBT Techniques

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of therapy that has been proven to help with mental health issues, like anxiety disorders. DBT teaches people skills to control their emotions, deal with stress, improve their relationships, and practice mindfulness.

A key idea in DBT is "radical acceptance." This means accepting your thoughts and feelings without judging them, even if they are uncomfortable. When people practice radical acceptance, they can lessen their struggle with anxiety. This helps them respond better to their feelings.

DBT skills training usually covers areas like mindfulness, distress tolerance, personal skills, and managing emotions. These skills give people useful tools to handle anxiety, face tough situations, and create better relationships.

Practical Tips for Managing Symptoms

Incorporating useful tips into your daily life can help manage anxiety symptoms. While these tips are not a replacement for professional help, they offer good tools to handle situations that cause anxiety and improve your overall well-being.

Simple but effective strategies include regular exercise, a balanced diet, enough sleep, and ways to manage stress. These can really help lower anxiety levels. Remember, being consistent in using these tips is important for your life.

Strategies for Coping with Panic Attacks

Panic attacks can be very scary. Learning how to cope can help you feel more in control and deal with strong feelings in your body and mind during a panic attack.

One good way to cope is through deep breathing exercises. When you sense a panic attack starting, try to breathe slowly and deeply. Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. This can help your heart rate and calm your nerves.

Another useful trick is grounding. This means focusing on your senses to keep yourself in the moment. When you experience a panic attack, look for five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.

Daily Practices for Reducing General Anxiety

Incorporating specific daily habits into your life can really help lower anxiety. When you do these habits regularly, even in small amounts, they can build up and help you feel more calm and strong over time.

One good habit is mindfulness meditation. Just taking a few minutes each day to focus on your breath or do a body scan can help you notice your thoughts and feelings without being hard on yourself. This can make those feelings feel less intense.

Another useful habit is to do things you enjoy that bring you peace. This can be spending time in nature, listening to music, enjoying hobbies, or connecting with family and friends.

Preparing for Therapy

Preparing for therapy can help make your sessions better and kick start your journey. Before your first visit, think about why you want help and what you hope to achieve.

It may help to write down your anxiety symptoms and how they affect your life. Also, list any specific goals you want to reach in therapy. This way, you can share your thoughts clearly with your therapist right from the start.

Setting Realistic Goals for Anxiety Therapy

Setting realistic goals for therapy is very important. It helps you stay motivated and see your progress. Keep in mind that therapy is a journey, and change doesn’t happen overnight. While you might wish for a quick fix, it’s best to be patient and kind to yourself.

Talk openly about what you expect from your therapy with your therapist. Work together to take big goals and break them into smaller, easier steps. This way, you can set realistic milestones along the journey. Working together makes sure your goals match your values and that you are both focused on the same aim.

Don’t forget to celebrate your wins, even if they seem small. Recognizing your progress, no matter how little, can strengthen your commitment to therapy. This can motivate you to keep moving towards lasting change.

What to Expect During Your First Anxiety Treatment Session

During your first session, your therapist will probably ask why you want therapy. They will want to know about your history with anxiety and any stress or challenges you are facing now. They might also ask about your family and medical history, as well as any past experiences you’ve had with therapy.

This first session is mainly to gather information and set up a foundation for your therapy. Your therapist’s goal is to understand your needs better and create a treatment plan just for you.

You should feel free to ask any questions you have about what to expect from therapy, how the process works, or any worries about confidentiality. Being open is very important for creating a trusting and helpful relationship with your therapist.

Conclusion

In conclusion, good therapy for anxiety disorders means knowing how anxiety affects daily life. It also includes using proven methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It is important to make the treatment fit personal needs. Finding the right therapist and adding helpful techniques like mindfulness are important steps to manage symptoms. By setting realistic goals and being active in their therapy, people can improve their mental health. If you have anxiety, getting help from a professional is vital for lasting relief and a better life. Remember, it is okay to ask for help and take care of your mental health.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Makes CBT Effective for Treating Anxiety?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a useful way to treat anxiety. It works by focusing on the main causes of anxiety. CBT helps people learn practical skills and strategies. These tools can challenge negative thoughts, manage physical symptoms, and slowly face situations that cause fear. This approach helps to break the cycle of anxiety over time.

How Long Does It Typically Take to See Results from Therapy?

The time it takes to see results from therapy can be different for each person. It depends on how severe their anxiety disorder is and how committed they are to their treatment. Many people start to notice positive changes within a few weeks to a few months of consistent therapy.

Can Anxiety Disorders Be Completely Cured?

The term "cured" isn't often used when talking about mental health. However, anxiety disorders can be treated very well. With the right treatment, people can see a big reduction in their anxiety symptoms. This can lead to lasting recovery. As a result, they can enjoy a fulfilling and meaningful life.

Understanding Anxiety Disorders Prevalence

The ever-increasing pace of life, coupled with new complexities in modern society, has brought to the forefront many mental health conditions, anxiety disorders being one of the most prevalent. With over 284 million people affected globally, anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder, have become a central focus in the mental health landscape. This post aims to shed light on the importance of seeking anxiety treatment, help, and therapy, focusing on the various accessible routes to address these disorders.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety disorders are more than just a fleeting feeling of fear or worry. They involve a group of related conditions, rather than a single disorder, and can look very different from person to person. While they're generally characterized by feelings of anxiety and fear, it's the persistence, intensity, and interference with daily activities that distinguish anxiety disorders from ordinary worry or stress.

Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Symptoms may start during childhood or the teen years and continue into adulthood. While it is perfectly normal to have anxiety about specific events or tasks, people with anxiety disorders often have intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. These feelings of anxiety often interfere with daily activities, are difficult to control, are out of proportion to the actual danger, and can last a long time.

Each anxiety disorder has distinct symptom profiles, but all are connected by the common thread of excessive, irrational fear and dread. It's important to remember that experiencing occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. However, people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations, which can significantly impact their daily activities.

Given the many different types of anxiety disorders and their impact on people's lives, it's crucial to seek professional help if you're experiencing symptoms. There are effective treatments available that can help manage and even alleviate these symptoms, improving the quality of life for those affected by these disorders.

How Common are Anxiety Disorders?

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health disorders worldwide. Let's take a deeper look into the different types of anxiety disorders and their prevalence:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder: GAD is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about various different things. People with GAD may anticipate disaster and may be overly concerned about money, health, family, work, or other issues. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, GAD affects 6.8 million adults in the U.S., or 3.1% of the U.S. population, in any given year. Women are twice as likely to be affected.

• Panic Disorder: This disorder involves recurrent, unexpected panic attacks, as well as fear of experiencing more episodes. Panic disorder affects 6 million adults in the U.S., or 2.7% of the population. Women are twice as likely to have panic disorder compared to men.

• Social Anxiety Disorder: SAD is characterized by a significant amount of fear in one or more social situations causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in parts of daily life. According to ADAA, SAD affects 15 million adults, or 6.8% of the U.S. population. It's equally common among men and women and typically begins around age 13.

• Specific Phobias: A specific phobia is an excessive and irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity that is generally not harmful. Patients know their fear is excessive, but they can't overcome it. Specific phobias affect 19 million adults, or 8.7% of the U.S. population. Women are twice as likely to have a phobia compared to men.

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): While they are not technically classified as anxiety disorders according to the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), they're closely related to anxiety disorders. OCD is characterized by repetitive, unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and irrational, excessive urges to do certain actions (compulsions), affecting 2.2 million adults, or 1.0% of the U.S. population. PTSD, on the other hand, can occur after an individual witnesses or experiences a traumatic event and affects 7.7 million adults, or 3.5% of the U.S. population.

While these numbers focus on the U.S. population, it's important to note that anxiety disorders are a global issue, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that globally, one in 13 people suffer from anxiety.

What Contributes to the Prevalence of Anxiety Today?

Anxiety disorders are common for a combination of reasons that often involve both nature (genetics) and nurture (environment). The prevalence of anxiety disorders can be attributed to the following key factors:

• Genetic Factors: Just like physical traits, mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders, can run in families. Research suggests that if a person has a close family member, like a parent or sibling, with an anxiety disorder, they may be at a higher risk of developing an anxiety disorder themselves.

• Brain Structure and Chemistry: Certain structures in the brain are more active in people with anxiety disorders. For example, the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions, is often more reactive in people with these disorders. Moreover, imbalances in neurotransmitters, chemicals that transmit signals in the brain, can also contribute to anxiety.

• Environmental Factors: Situations or events in a person's life can trigger anxiety disorders. This can include traumatic experiences, such as physical or sexual abuse, neglect, or witnessing a traumatic event. Even prolonged exposure to high-stress environments, like an abusive household or a high-stress job, can lead to anxiety disorders.

• Personality Traits: People with certain personality traits are more prone to anxiety disorders. For example, individuals who are perfectionists, easily flustered, timid, inhibited, lack self-esteem, or want to control everything, are more likely to develop anxiety disorders.

• Physical Health Conditions: Certain physical health conditions, like heart disease, diabetes, or thyroid problems, can also contribute to anxiety. Symptoms of these conditions can trigger or exacerbate anxiety symptoms.

• Other Mental Health Disorders: Having another mental health disorder, like depression, can increase the risk of an anxiety disorder. These conditions often co-occur, with symptoms feeding off each other.

Lastly, it's important to note that the high prevalence of anxiety disorders might be due, in part, to increased recognition and understanding of these conditions. As society becomes more aware of mental health and reduces the stigma surrounding it, more people are likely to seek help and receive a diagnosis.

However, despite their prevalence, anxiety disorders are treatable, and a majority of people with these conditions can lead normal, productive lives with the right treatment and support. If you or someone you know is struggling with symptoms of anxiety, it's essential to reach out to a mental health professional for help.

Anxiety Treatment Options

Early diagnosis and intervention significantly improve the prognosis for recovery, hence the importance of awareness and access to professional help. Effective treatments for anxiety disorders are available, and research is yielding new, improved therapies that can help most people with anxiety disorders lead productive, fulfilling lives.

Before diving into the treatment options, it's crucial to understand that seeking help for anxiety is an act of courage. Acknowledging that you're struggling is the first step towards anxiety help. Once you've taken that step, there are numerous anxiety treatment options available.

• Psychotherapy: Also known as talk therapy or psychological counseling, psychotherapy involves working with a therapist to reduce your anxiety symptoms. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a common form of psychotherapy, effective in treating anxiety disorders. This therapy teaches you different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to anxiety-producing and fearful situations. While traditional routes like psychotherapy are significant, they are not the only ways to seek anxiety help. More and more people are now turning to alternative and complementary approaches for anxiety treatment.

• Lifestyle changes: Sometimes, small changes can make a big difference. Regular physical activity and exercise can help manage symptoms of anxiety by boosting your mood and acting as a natural stress reducer. Incorporating a balanced diet, limiting caffeine and alcohol, and prioritizing good sleep hygiene can also be beneficial.

• Mindfulness and relaxation techniques: Techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga can help to reduce symptoms of anxiety. These practices aim to create a sense of peace and calm within the mind and body, providing relief from stress and anxiety.

Anxiety Treatment: Therapy Options for Those With an Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety therapy, whether it's psychotherapy or a more holistic approach, can be a lifeline for those grappling with anxiety disorders. It's not a sign of weakness but rather an empowering step towards reclaiming your life.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): As mentioned before, CBT is one of the most effective forms of therapy for treating anxiety disorders. It helps you identify and challenge thought patterns that lead to harmful behaviors and feelings of anxiety.

Exposure therapy: This is a form of CBT that is particularly useful for specific phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It involves gradually exposing you to the object or situation that causes anxiety, helping you feel less fearful over time.

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): DBT is used for various mental health conditions, including anxiety. It focuses on teaching skills to cope with stress, regulate emotions, and improve relationships with others.

Online therapy has emerged as a popular and accessible form of anxiety therapy. It allows you to receive therapy from the comfort of your own home, providing a sense of safety and convenience. Especially with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, online therapy has proved to be a crucial tool for mental health support.

In conclusion, understanding anxiety disorders and their prevalence in today's society is just the first step in battling this global issue. The importance of seeking anxiety treatment, help, and therapy cannot be overstated. Remember, the bravest thing one can do is ask for help when they need it. It's a sign of strength, not weakness. With the wide range of treatments and therapies available, you or a loved one dealing with anxiety don't have to face this journey alone. Help is available, and recovery is within reach. Always reach out to a healthcare provider or mental health professional if you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety. It's never too late to seek help.

What is generalized anxiety disorder?

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by persistent and excessive worry and anxiety about everyday events and activities. People with GAD experience chronic and uncontrollable worry that is disproportionate to the actual level of threat or concern. This worry can occur across multiple areas of life, including work, school, relationships, and health.

In addition to excessive worry, people with GAD may also experience a range of physical symptoms, such as muscle tension, fatigue, irritability, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, and difficulty concentrating. These symptoms can be distressing and may interfere with daily life activities.

The exact causes of GAD are not fully understood, but it is believed to be influenced by a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors. GAD is a treatable condition, and treatment typically involves a combination of psychotherapy and medication.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for GAD, which focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns that contribute to anxiety and worry. Other therapies, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, relaxation techniques, and exposure therapy, may also be helpful in reducing symptoms of GAD.

At the Anxiety Treatment Center of Denver, we offer evidence-based treatment for GAD. Learn more or contact us today.

Treating Multiple Anxiety Issues with a Single Treatment

The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) is a transdiagnostic treatment for emotional disorders, meaning it was designed to be used for all issues of emotion, including all forms of depression and anxiety. This treatment is administered in 16 sessions, and, according to the creators, represents “a more efficient and possibly a more effective strategy in treating emotional disorders” over single disorder treatments (Barlow, Allen, & Choate, 2016).

The rationale behind this design is the theory that all emotional disorders share certain characteristics and underlying processes which manifest differently for different persons. By targeting those processes, you reduce both the current symptoms (such as panic) while reducing the likelihood other symptoms will emerge (such as generalized anxiety or depression). In addition, the UP has a major advantage over single-diagnosis treatments: clinicians need only learn this one treatment for all emotional disorders, rather than separate treatments for each. This makes it easier, and cheaper to learn. It also gives clinicians more practice (since they are using it with many more clients), leading to quicker proficiency, and then mastery.

The UP contains seven modules (usually delivered in 1-3 weeks) that are taught in order. The modules consistent of CBT concepts and exercises which have been shown to be beneficial across diagnoses. The modules are: motivational enhancement, psychoeducation on emotions, emotion tracking, mindfulness of emotions, thought challenging, psychoeducation on avoidance, exposure to physical sensations, and exposure to emotion-provoking situations.

Previous studies have shown this intervention to be effective at treating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). One study of 223 persons with GAD found the UP lead to a significant reduction of anxiety symptoms over the waitlist control condition after 16 sessions, and at a 6 month follow up (Barlow, et al., 2017). The UP has also been shown to be effective at reducing symptoms of depression on both subject and clinician measures after 16 sessions, and at 12 months post-treatment (Sauer-Zavala, 2020).

One meta-analysis of the Unified Protocol examined 15 studies totaling 1244 participants (Sakiris & Berle, 2019). This study found the UP yielded a reduction of symptoms with large effect sizes for: anxiety, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder (both with and without agoraphobia), and social anxiety disorder. There were also significant improvements seen in measures of emotional regulation, functional impairment, and quality of life.

Another study found the Unified Protocol to be an effective treatment for some persons diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD)(Lopez et al., 2015). In this study of eight individuals with BPD who received the UP, three showed clear reductions in BPD symptoms, while four others demonstrated small reductions. While these results were not as impressive when compared to persons with anxiety or depression, the UP is much shorter, cheaper, and easier to deliver than other BPD treatments. 

Significantly, clients also tend to see reductions in symptoms that are not the primary target of treatment (Reinholt et al., 2017). For example, clients who are primarily seeking treatment for anxiety also see reductions in depression, and vice versa. This suggests the UP is especially beneficial for persons with co-morbid mood disorders and unclear or shifting symptomology.

The Unified Protocol has also been shown to be effective in clients presenting with a complex combination of symptoms. One case study by Bentley (2017) used the UP to treat a client who met criteria for social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder that was also regularly engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). This client was also experiencing symptoms of depression, PTSD, and an eating disorder. After 16 weeks of the UP, the client reported moderate drops in anxiety, with a significant increase in their ability to regulate intense emotions, and a significant decrease in NSSI behavior.

How does the Unified Protocol, which is designed to treat a wide range of disorders, compare to disorder specific treatments? One study to examine this question compared the use of disorder specific CBT treatments to the UP (Steele at al., 2018). The authors found that both groups showed significant drops in symptoms and improvements on measures of anxiety, social anxiety, and depression, each with large effect sizes. However, there were no significant between-groups differences. This suggests the UP was just as effective. In addition, it has the added benefit of being easier to learn and master (compared to learning many different disorder specific treatments).

One study examined the use of the UP modules separately, to determine if each is beneficial and necessary (Sauer-Zavala et al., 2017). This study found that five of eight participants showed improvement on each individual skill when they received the modules separately. This suggests the program is well designed without significant overlap, that each module is necessary, and that overall symptom improvement is likely the product of a synergistic effect achieved by learning all of the modules.

Research indicates that the UP is an excellent treatment for emotional issues, including generalized anxiety, worry, panic, and depression. Contact us today to learn if the UP is the best treatment for your anxiety or depression.

What is Panic Disorder?

A panic attack is defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) as a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort accompanied by at least four physical or cognitive symptoms from a list of 13 (such as palpitations, shortness of breath, derealization, and fear of dying) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent panic attacks (requiring at least a panic attack followed by fear of another attack for at least a month, or at least one panic attack followed by maladaptive behaviors related to the attack).

Approximately 2.7% of American adults experience a panic attack each year (National Institute of Mental Health). Among persons who have panic attacks, about half (44.8%) have panic disorder that can be categorized as “serious,” with a high degree of impairment across multiple domains. Women are more likely to experience a panic attack than men in any given year (3.8% for females, and 1.6% for males). The numbers for adolescents are similar, with 2.3% of Americans aged 13-18 meeting diagnostic criteria for Panic Disorder (2.6% for women and 2.0% for men). White Americans are the racial group most likely to endorse symptoms of panic disorder (5.1%), higher than Hispanic Americans (4.1%), African Americans (3.8%), and Asian Americans (2.1%)(Asnaani, Richey, Dimaite, Hinton, & Hofmann, 2010).

Panic disorder is considered to be highly treatable. For example, one study found that a CBT intervention for panic was effective at reducing panic attacks to zero at three months post-treatment, and almost half of the subjects were panic free 24 months post-treatment with no additional treatment (Ham, Waters, & Oliver, 2005). However, only about 40% of persons with panic disorder seek treatment (Anxiety and Depression Association of America). Many persons do not receive adequate treatment because they are not diagnosed, or misdiagnosed. Panic and related anxiety disorders are very common, and many persons seeking mental health care could potentially benefit from more effective diagnosis and treatment. This also applies to social workers who are not working primarily as mental health providers but who nonetheless encounter many clients for whom anxiety treatment, or a referral for anxiety treatment, would be very beneficial.

Many persons with panic disorder present to their primary care physician or the emergency room, and they are six times more likely than the general population to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Misdiagnoses, missed diagnoses, and improper treatment of panic attacks, panic disorder, and other anxiety disorders, places an unnecessary burden on emergency and psychiatric facilities. Proper diagnosis and treatment of panic disorder is an essential skill for any person who treats emotional disorders, works in community mental health, or works in any social work agency.

At ATC-D, we offer an anxiety treatment program that is very effective at treating panic disorder. Contact us to learn how we can help you beat your panic, for good.