Editing Anxiety (section)

==Treatment==
{{See also|Fear#Management}}
The first step in the management of a person with anxiety symptoms involves evaluating the possible presence of an underlying medical cause, the recognition of which is essential in order to decide the correct treatment.<ref name="WHO2009">{{cite book |publisher=World Health Organization |date= 2009 |title= Pharmacological Treatment of Mental Disorders in Primary Health Care |url= http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/44095/1/9789241547697_eng.pdf |location= Geneva |isbn= 978-92-4-154769-7 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161120132530/http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/44095/1/9789241547697_eng.pdf |archive-date= November 20, 2016 |df= mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="TestaGiannuzzi2013partIII">{{cite journal | vauthors = Testa A, Giannuzzi R, Daini S, Bernardini L, Petrongolo L, Gentiloni Silveri N | title = Psychiatric emergencies (part III): psychiatric symptoms resulting from organic diseases | journal = European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences | volume = 17 | issue = Suppl 1 | pages = 86–99 | date = February 2013 | pmid = 23436670 | url = http://www.europeanreview.org/article/3087 | access-date = 2018-10-26 | archive-date = 2021-03-04 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210304154235/https://www.europeanreview.org/article/3087 | url-status = live }}</ref> Anxiety symptoms may mask an [[Disease|organic disease]], or appear associated with or as a result of a medical disorder.<ref name="WHO2009" /><ref name="TestaGiannuzzi2013partIII" /><ref name="TestaGiannuzzi2013partII">{{cite journal | vauthors = Testa A, Giannuzzi R, Sollazzo F, Petrongolo L, Bernardini L, Dain S | title = Psychiatric emergencies (part II): psychiatric disorders coexisting with organic diseases | journal = European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences | volume = 17 | issue = Suppl 1 | pages = 65–85 | date = February 2013 | pmid = 23436669 | url = http://www.europeanreview.org/article/3085 | access-date = 2018-10-26 | archive-date = 2021-05-05 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210505213014/https://www.europeanreview.org/article/3085 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="TestaGiannuzzi2013partI">{{cite journal | vauthors = Testa A, Giannuzzi R, Sollazzo F, Petrongolo L, Bernardini L, Daini S | title = Psychiatric emergencies (part I): psychiatric disorders causing organic symptoms | journal = European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences | volume = 17 | issue = Suppl 1 | pages = 55–64 | date = February 2013 | pmid = 23436668 | url = http://www.europeanreview.org/article/3083 | access-date = 2018-10-26 | archive-date = 2021-02-26 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226131355/https://www.europeanreview.org/article/3083 | url-status = live }}</ref>

[[Cognitive behavioral therapy]] (CBT) is effective for anxiety disorders and is a first line treatment.<ref name="NEJM2015">{{cite journal | vauthors = Stein MB, Sareen J | title = CLINICAL PRACTICE. Generalized Anxiety Disorder | journal = The New England Journal of Medicine | volume = 373 | issue = 21 | pages = 2059–2068 | date = November 2015 | pmid = 26580998 | doi = 10.1056/nejmcp1502514 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Cuijpers P, Sijbrandij M, Koole S, Huibers M, Berking M, Andersson G | title = Psychological treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a meta-analysis | journal = Clinical Psychology Review | volume = 34 | issue = 2 | pages = 130–140 | date = March 2014 | pmid = 24487344 | doi = 10.1016/j.cpr.2014.01.002 | s2cid = 46188773 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Otte C | title = Cognitive behavioral therapy in anxiety disorders: current state of the evidence | journal = Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience | volume = 13 | issue = 4 | pages = 413–421 | year = 2011 | pmid = 22275847 | pmc = 3263389 | doi = 10.31887/DCNS.2011.13.4/cotte }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Pompoli A, Furukawa TA, Imai H, Tajika A, Efthimiou O, Salanti G | title = Psychological therapies for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia in adults: a network meta-analysis | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 2016 | pages = CD011004 | date = April 2016 | issue = 4 | pmid = 27071857 | pmc = 7104662 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD011004.pub2 }}</ref><ref name="Ol2016">{{cite journal | vauthors = Olthuis JV, Watt MC, Bailey K, Hayden JA, Stewart SH | title = Therapist-supported Internet cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in adults | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 2016 | issue = 3 | pages = CD011565 | date = March 2016 | pmid = 26968204 | pmc = 7077612 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.cd011565.pub2 }}</ref> CBT appears to be equally effective when carried out via the internet.<ref name="Ol2016" /> While evidence for mental health apps is promising, it is preliminary.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Donker T, Petrie K, Proudfoot J, Clarke J, Birch MR, Christensen H | title = Smartphones for smarter delivery of mental health programs: a systematic review | journal = Journal of Medical Internet Research | volume = 15 | issue = 11 | pages = e247 | date = November 2013 | pmid = 24240579 | pmc = 3841358 | doi = 10.2196/jmir.2791 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{cite report | vauthors = Singh K, Severn M | title = e-Therapy Interventions for the Treatment of Anxiety: Clinical Evidence | date = 2018 | pmid = 30329251 | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532212/ | access-date = 2022-12-28 | publisher = Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health | series = CADTH Rapid Response Report: Summary with Critical Appraisal | archive-date = 2024-02-23 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240223203048/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532212/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

Anxiety often affects relationships, and [[interpersonal psychotherapy]] addresses these issues by improving communication and relationship skills.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-08 |title=Can Therapy Help with Anxiety? Understanding the Benefits |url=https://totalmentalwellnessfl.com/does-therapy-help-with-anxiety-total-mental-wellness/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=totalmentalwellnessfl.com |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240223203103/https://totalmentalwellnessfl.com/does-therapy-help-with-anxiety-total-mental-wellness/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Psychopharmacological treatment can be used in parallel to CBT or can be used alone. As a general rule, most anxiety disorders respond well to first-line agents. Such drugs, also used as anti-depressants, are the [[selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor]]s and [[Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor|serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors]], that work by blocking the reuptake of specific neurotransmitters and resulting in the increase in availability of these neurotransmitters. Additionally, benzodiazepines are often prescribed to individuals with anxiety disorder. Benzodiazepines produce an anxiolytic response by modulating GABA and increasing its receptor binding. A third common treatment involves a category of drug known as serotonin agonists. This category of drug works by initiating a physiological response at 5-HT1A receptor by increasing the action of serotonin at this receptor.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}} Other treatment options include [[pregabalin]], tricyclic antidepressants, and moclobemide, among others.<ref name="Bandelow_2017">{{cite journal | vauthors = Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D | title = Treatment of anxiety disorders | journal = Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience | volume = 19 | issue = 2 | pages = 93–107 | date = June 2017 | pmid = 28867934 | pmc = 5573566 | doi = 10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/bbandelow }}</ref>

Anxiety is considered to be a serious psychiatric illness that has an unknown true pervasiveness due to affected individuals not asking for proper treatment or aid, and due to professionals missing the diagnosis.<ref name = "Chand_2022" />