Anxiety is an ailment that afflicts many. The root causes behind anxiety can be a multitude of things. For example, the consumption of certain drugs such as caffeine or alcohol can induce anxiety in individuals; however, in many other common cases, anxiety can be a result of a stressful life or a stressful upbringing, in some cases both. 

What makes anxiety so interesting is the fact that it’s a very common issue these days, and perhaps the reasons can be as simple as the fact that life, in general, moves much faster now, causing many to feel anxious and unable to keep up with the rapid pace at which advances happen, and the person progresses. Humans, after all, weren’t designed or built to be working in such a fast-paced world. We evolved from hunter-gatherers, after all. 

So if you’re looking for anxiety therapy for college students in Boulder, CO, read on for possible questions and their answers.

What exactly is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of unease; it can cause people to have a rapid heartbeat, become restless and become tense. This a feeling that can make many unable to fiction, and as a result, many people who have anxiety end up self-medicating to ease their anxiety and restlessness. This self-medication causes a loop of addiction in many and makes the problem worse in the long run. Chronic anxiety requires treatment of sorts, but not necessarily always the medication type. Medication is necessary in some cases, but not all. An example of a disorder related to anxiety is generalized anxiety disorder, which is when people worry excessively and, as a result, think and are unable to live their lives truly.  Then there is Panic disorder, which causes people to have panic attacks, which are sudden periods of intense fear when there is no present danger. These attacks come quickly and can last for several minutes or more.  Phobias are examples of worries that people have about things that also present no threat. Examples of this can be people in social settings, spiders or going to crowded places. 

There are more types of anxiety as well, such as:

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Often seen in soldiers who have been through traumatic events in a war, this type of disorder makes the individual feel as if they are reliving the traumatic experience again and again This can lead to many behavioral problems and self-destructive habits, such as substance abuse and engaging in violence.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

People with this particular type of disorder engage in obsessing over the number of times they’ve done a special thing or task to reduce the anxiety of doing that specific task and whether they’ve done it correctly or not. 

Possible reasons for the prevalence of anxiety 

The possible reason for the prevalence of anxiety in modern society is the fact that anxiety is a disorder that is generally a reaction to stress. Modern society is very stressful due to many of the problems that the world is facing, as well as the rapid technological advancements making many people struggle to find jobs as machines and computers are replacing them. Another problem is the fact that many people don’t feel enough due to extreme marketing and hyper-capitalist practices, such as the objection of both genders in media. This leads to many people feeling left out and alone, and most of all, not enough. When individuals feel that they do not belong in society they become much more isolated as well as anxious and guilty for not fitting in with what society deems is important. This creates a process that leads to more and more people mentally dropping out of society and becoming more anxious. In many cases, people end up taking their own lives. 

Solutions for the problem

There are a myriad of solutions developed by psychotherapists and psychiatrists to help anxiety. Some of them include methods such as therapy. Others include the provision of medicine to fix the problem. These medications can consist of SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), which help ease the woes of people suffering from anxiety. There are also more organic methods, such as working out, having a strong physical regimen, and good nutrition, that can help people with anxiety as well. The best part of this is the fact that people who believe. 

Treating Anxiety through therapy

What makes therapy an effective tool to treat anxiety is the fact that treatment fixes the core of the individual that causes them to have anxiety; an analogy can be made here: medication for anxiety is the equivalent of putting a band-aid on a wound; it can help a lot, especially at the moment, but it’s not a long term solution to the problem. Therapy often seeks to rebuild the person and allow them to accept and understand their concerns, which is far more effective in the long run. 

Utilizing Cognitive Behavioral therapy 

This type of therapy allows the practitioner to make the patient understand their specific kind of therapy and why it bothers them, what they can specifically do to target it and exercises built around improving the condition. This is normally a very effective method to solve anxiety problems in many. 

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

This type of therapy focuses on improving anxiety while working on changing the thoughts and behaviors that a person has through teaching them about mindfulness, tolerance of distress, and also emotional regulation. 

Treating Anxiety through medication 

Many medications have been developed over the years to improve anxiety, these medications being from various classes of drugs, from SSRIs to Benzodiazepines and Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors; let’s try to look at these multiple types of drugs.

Benzodiazepines 

These tend to have the fastest effect out of all the above classes of drugs but also hold the greatest misuse potential and side effects, as well as withdrawals, and examples include Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin. They relax both the mind as well as the muscles in the body and can cause people to fall asleep more easily. 

SNRIs

These boost the body’s serotonin and norepinephrine levels, which can cause people to feel much better as these hormones are responsible for people’s happiness. 

SSRI’s

These are drugs that work to increase the body’s serotonin levels, which promotes a better mood and happiness in people. 

So, what’s the best path forward?

The best path forward is usually a combination of both methodologies, medication and therapy. The way to do this is to find a therapist or a psychotherapist who can work with you and your specific needs to find out what it is that you truly need. If you’re looking for anxiety therapy for college students in Boulder, CO, Charlie Meerts-Brandma – at the Space for Growth is a dedicated psychotherapist who has worked with many people over the years to help them overcome their traumas and difficulties in life. What makes him special is his ability to understand the deeper issues that exist within people that cause them to have behavioral problems such as anxiety and depression. Working with him should help you progress through life and improve your condition.