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Current Treatment
Diagnosis
In current practice, diagnosis of any mental illnesses usually takes three steps.
Step 1: Evaluation by a doctor
- asking questions about the symptoms and medical history
performing a physical examination
Step 2: Evaluation by a psychiatrist or psychologist (referred to by the doctor only if needed)
- using specially designed interview and assessment tools
Step 3: Diagnosis by the doctor
- basing on the report of symptoms
- plus the doctor’s observation of the sufferer’s attitudes and behaviour
- determining what type of anxiety disorders
In the United States, the standard manual used for the diagnosis of mental illness is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition) (DSM-IV for short), compiled by the American Psychiatric Association.
Treatment 
Currently, there are three mainstream ways of treating anxiety disorders.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy (PFPP) treats patients with a course of three phases. It usually takes 3 months with 24 sessions (twice a week) and each session lasts for 45 minutes.
- Firstly – identifying specific content and meanings of the panic episode.
- Secondly – addressing the core dynamisms that lead to patients’ vulnerability to panic onset and persistence.
- Thirdly – allowing patients to reexperience those conflicts directly with the therapist in order to address patients’ severe difficulties with separation and independence and anger.
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive-behavioural therapy usually has two components. It usually takes 3 months with 12-15 sessions in an individual or group setting.
- Firstly – identifying and changing the distorted thinking patterns and beliefs, and restructure cognitions to correct misinterpretation of bodily sensations.
- Secondly – desensitising anxiety by encouraging exposure to feared and panic situations.
- Breathing and relaxation techniques are often included in CBT.
Medication
Prescribed medications for treating SAD include the following three categories.
Antidepressants
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including fluoxetine, sertraline, fluxoxamine, paroxetine, and citalopram. They are used to treat panic disorder, OCD, social phobia and GAD.
- Tricyclics are early used to treat panic disorder, PTSD and OCD. They include doxepin, clomiprimine, nortriptyline, amitriptyline, imipramine, maprotiline, desipramine, nortriptyine, doxepin, trimipramine, imipramine, and protriptyline.
- MAOIs (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors) are the oldest class of antidepressants and used to treat panic disorder, SAD, PTSD. They include selegilene, isocarboxid, phenelzine, and tranylcypromine.
Anti-Anxiety Medications
- Benzodiazepines are used to treat GAD, SAD and panic disorder. They include diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, oxazepam, lorazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam, flurazepam, triazolam, prazepam, halazepam, and clorazepate.
- Buspirone is a member of a class of drugs azipirones and a newer anti-anxiety medication. It is used to treat GAD.
Other Medications
- Beta Blockers, including propanolol and atenolol, are used to treat SAD.
- Gabapentin, a member of anticonvulsants, is used to treat SAD.
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