Therapist Theory

Anxiety Disorders are the most common mental disorders in the United States. 18 percent of the population suffers from one or another of the 6 types of anxiety disorders, 29 percent develop one at some point in their lives, and only about one-fifth ever seek treatment. Most individuals with one disorder will most likely suffer from a second one as well. People who suffer from general anxiety disorder have general and persistent feelings of worry and anxiety on a regular basis. They typically have feel restless, excited or edgy, tire easily, have difficulty concentrating, suffer from muscle tension, and have sleep problems. The symptoms last at least six months. However, most people with this disorder are able to maintain social relationships and perform their job duties. No single perspective can explain why certain people develop this disorder and others do not. The sociocultural perspective theorists argue that general anxiety disorder is most likely to develop in people who are faced with ongoing societal conditions that are dangerous. They believe people with low income and poor neighborhoods with high crime rates are more prone to develop the feelings of tension, anxiety,
Therapists also suggest more appropriate ways of handling situations, assign homework that gives the individual practice at changing their old habits and applying new ones. Therapists also help clients to become aware of their thoughts, including their worries, as they are occurring and to accept such thoughts as mere events of the mind. By accepting their thoughts rather than trying to remove them, the individuals are expected to be less anxious and affected by them. These techniques have been useful with other psychological problems such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders, and substance