Psychoeducation and Anxiety

Psychoeducation refers to the education offered to individuals with a mental health condition and their families to help empower them and deal with their condition in an optimal way. It was originally conceived as a composite of numerous therapeutic elements within a complex family therapy intervention.

Patients and their relatives were, by means of preliminary briefing concerning the illness, supposed to develop a fundamental understanding of the therapy and further be convinced to commit to more long-term involvement.

Learning to Manage Anxiety

One of the main goals of anxiety therapy is to lessen the effects of anxiety. One of the things a therapist often does is provide psychoeducational articles and books. Read the articles listed below and at right to learn more about how anxiety affects us all differently.

Psychoeducation refers to the education offered by a therapist to people with a mental health condition. Frequently psychoeducation is provided in the context of the treatment with the goal of helping the client to understand and be better able to deal with the presented illness. Part of the goal of psychoeducation in therapy is capitalize on the client’s strengths, resources and coping skills. In this manner, positive aspects are reinforced and the client can learn how to contribute to their own health and wellness on a long-term basis.

Many of us who suffer from excessive anxiety forget that anxiety can be useful. For one thing, it helps us get out of harm’s way and prepare for important events, and warns us when we need to take action. Anxiety disorders are different than this because they are persistent, seemingly uncontrollable, and overwhelming.

Psychoeducation and Anxiety Disorders

An anxiety disorder is characterized by unique criteria such as excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations that interfere with daily activities.

The term “anxiety disorder” refers to a number of conditions, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia), and specific phobias.

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric illnesses affecting children and adults. Research has found that over 40 million American adults suffer from some type of anxiety disorder and that less than one-third receive treatment.

Do your symptoms indicate an anxiety disorder? If you identify with several of the following signs and symptoms, and they just won’t go away, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.

• Are you constantly tense, worried, or on edge?
• Does your anxiety interfere with your work, school, or family responsibilities?
• Are you plagued by fears that you know are irrational, but can’t shake?
• Do you believe that something bad will happen if certain things aren’t done a certain way?
• Do you avoid everyday situations or activities because they cause you anxiety?
• Do you experience sudden, unexpected attacks of heart-pounding panic?
• Do you feel like danger and catastrophe are around every corner?

Natural Treatment Options for Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders respond very well to treatment and often in a relatively short amount of time. The specific treatment approach depends on the type of anxiety disorder and its severity. But in general, most anxiety disorders are treated with therapy, psychoeducation, medication, natural remedies, or some combination of them. However, medication can be highly addictive so many people choose complementary or alternative treatments instead.