Anxiety Non-pharmacologic Management

1. See Also
   1. Anxiety Management
2. Management: General
   1. Offer Reassurance
      1. Not a serious physical disease
      2. Not insanity
      3. Not a sign of weakness or failure
      4. Not childishness or overdependency
      5. Not life-threatening
   2. Encourage Acceptance of anxiety as a life-long problem
      1. Innate response with years of reinforcement
      2. Complete calm always is unrealistic goal
   3. Set Goals for Therapy
      1. Decrease level of anxiety and maintain at low level
      2. Modulate future symptom responses
      3. Increase functioning
   4. Encourage healthy lifestyle as an adjunct to treatment
      1. Daily Physical Exercise
         1. Walking
         2. Tennis
         3. Aerobics
         4. Bicycling
      2. Establish good Sleep Hygiene
      3. Consider new hobbies
      4. Avoid harmful intakes (See Anxiety Secondary Causes)
         1. Avoid Alcohol use
         2. Avoid Tobacco use
         3. Avoid Caffeine
         4. Avoid Substance Abuse
3. Management: Psychotherapy
   1. Teach coping skills and conflict resolution
   2. Increase self confidence
   3. Increase self control
   4. Promote emotional growth
   5. Encourage patient to express themselves
   6. Practice goal directed behavior
      1. Redirect energy and creativity
      2. Identify a new source of fulfillment
4. Management: Behavioral Therapy
   1. Progressive muscle relaxation
   2. Relaxation training
      1. Meditation
      2. Yoga
      3. Self-Hypnosis
   3. Biofeedback
   4. Breathing retraining (arousal reduction)
      1. Take a deep breath
      2. Let breath out through pursed lips
5. Management: Cognitive Therapy
   1. Systematic desensitization
   2. Recognize, Reexamine and replace anxious thoughts