Treatment for Anxiety
Disorders
Panic
Anxiety Education
Management Services
Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy
vs
Medication
As a matter of interest we have listed below excerpts from a
number of studies.
'Studies comparing the relative efficacy of pharmacologic and
cognitive behavioral interventions report panic-free rates above 80%
for cognitive behavioral interventions and between 50% and 60% for
pharmacotherapy' (3)
A Spanish study assessed the cost before and after diagnosis and
treatment of 61 people with Panic Disorder. The treatment involved
psychotropic drugs including 'Alprazolam (Xanax) tricyclic anti
depressants also MOAI' Direct costs prior to diagnosis
were $US 29,158; After diagnosis, $US 46,256; Indirect
cost prior to diagnosis were $US 65,643; after diagnosis,
$13, 883. The increase in Direct costs were associated to the
number of psychiatrist consultations which grew from 40 prior to
diagnosis to 793 after diagnosis. (7)
In comparison, a German study looked at the cost-effectiveness of
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy involving 66 people with Panic
Disorder. At a three year follow up, anxiety-related health care
costs, direct and indirect, decreased by 81%. 'Taking the cost of
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy into account the cost-benefit ratio for
the first two years was 1:5.6. Thus one dollar spent for Cognitive
behavioral treatment yielded a saving of 5.6 dollars in
anxiety-related costs'.(6)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the Red
Herrings
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be classified as a 'talking
therapy' and in a few instances it has been implied that it is not
as successful as some other therapies offered. Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy is very proactive. It is not so much as just talking with
your therapist, CBT encourages you to take a direct personal
approach to work through the negative cycles of thinking.
There is also perception that those of us who have recovered from
Panic Disorder by using CBT:
(a) didn't have 'Real' Panic Disorder in the first place. (How
one distinguishes between 'Real and Unreal' Panic Disorder is
something we have yet to discover! It apparently means that although
we meet all the criteria for 'Real' Panic Disorder the fact we have
recovered means it was Unreal!);
(b) are in remission (except we don't know it!)
We need to remember, CBT is a relatively new therapy. In the
past, many health professionals did not see people recover from
their disorder and some therapists are still not aware that people
can recover.
If you are told your particular therapist has used CBT with
little success, it may be your therapist doesn't have the skills
required to teach their patients!
If we are prepared to do the work involved, CBT can give us back
our lives, not just in the short-term, but in the long-term.
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