Anxiety

Anxiety and anxiety disorders afflict 18 percent of American adults every year. More intense than the average nervous discomfort of a stressful situation, anxiety disorders last well after the situation is over and may become more intense when triggered by events that most would not define has stressful at all. Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Get more details about anxiety:

• Symptoms and treatments for anxiety
• Preventing anxiety
• Anxiety and challenges acquiring health coverage
• Health insurance options for people with anxiety

Anxiety Symptoms and Treatment

Symptoms can include chest pains, shaking, hyper ventilating, nightmares, aural and visual hallucinations and intense fear. Anxiety disorders often co-occur with other physical and mental illnesses.

Anxiety disorders are usually treated with a combination of therapy and medication. Therapy choices include:

• Behavior Therapy – The idea behind behavior therapy is that the patient can learn new ways to handle stressful situations giving them an element of control over themselves and their lives.

• Cognitive Therapy – Cognitive therapy focuses on the thinking that leads patients to react so forcefully to certain events and helps them to learn new ways of viewing the situation and thus, again, gain an element of control over their reactions.

• Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) – A combination of cognitive and behavioral therapy, CBT offers a new physical and mental skill set to apply in stressful situations.

Relaxation techniques are usually a part of any therapy that addresses anxiety disorders and includes breathing techniques, stretching and quiet exercise.

Medication is also used in combination with therapy and can include one or a combination of anti-anxiety prescriptions and antidepressants. They work by physically reducing the stress of the individual or by altering the mood so that events don’t seem as stressful. Most anti-anxiety medications are benzodiazepine and include Xanax, Klonopin, and Valium. Commonly prescribed antidepressants include Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Celexa, Elavil, Prozac and Paxil.

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Preventive Measures for Anxiety

Certain lifestyle choices can help avert anxiety or lessen its severity, including avoiding caffeine, nicotine in any form, and increasing moderate physical activity.

Challenges Obtaining Health Insurance With Anxiety

If you received documented treatment for an anxiety disorder in the six months prior to purchasing health insurance, it may be considered a preexisting condition.

Health Insurance Options With Anxiety

Each state has different rules for preexisting conditions and how long the waiting period may be before treatment must be covered on a health insurance policy. Federal law mandates that the waiting period may be no longer than 12 months. For those whom anxiety is a disabling disorder, Social Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance are options and 30 states offer high-risk pools that cover everyone despite health problems and medical conditions.

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