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Anxiety disorders - be they panic attacks, a specific anxiety (such as social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder or phobias) or generalised anxiety - are unpleasant emotional states which are often hard to diagnose. They can occur in any walk of life, to any individual, regardless of their psychological makeup. The suggestions contained in this article apply specifically to treatment in the UK and are taken from personal experience as a carer for an individual suffering from anxiety. I am not a health professional.

The first and most important step is to recognise that anxiety disorders are not a reason to feel weak or guilty. They can happen to anybody and, despite the British 'stiff upper lip', cannot always be worked through alone. Seeking help does not imply that you are a lunatic, crazy or abnormal. It is neither a sign that you cannot cope with modern life, nor that you are strange.

In practical terms, seeing your regular doctor is essential to getting help or treatment. They should be your first port of call, as they can refer you to specialists within the NHS, thus avoiding the significantly more expensive route of private treatment.

Frequently, local surgeries have a visiting mental health worker to whom you will first be referred. It is this person's job to assess your situation and recommend one of various paths you can follow. At the assessment, they will ask a lot of questions, some of which may be somewhat personal: answering them frankly and openly will help them choose the correct form of treatment for you. If there is no local worker, you will normally be referred to the psychiatrist at your hospital or the nearest mental health department of the NHS. For more information, visit the NHS's 'Using Mental Health Services' page.

Most counties and cities also have a local mental health helpline which is available 24 hours a day. A Google search for 'mental health line' and your town or county name usually suffices to find them. National services include the Samaritans and MIND (who have an excellent information department offering fact sheets in various languages). The NHS Direct service (0845 4647) can also guide.

If the idea of treatment worries you, it usually takes one of three forms: self-help, psychotherapy (or psychoanalysis) or pharmacotherapy. Self-help includes books and software (most frequently cognitive behavioural therapy materials) that you can read or use on your own to work on the problem. Psychotherapy (that is, therapy, counselling or full-blown analysis) is also available and will be with a qualified counsellor or psychologist. Pharmacotherapy is treatment by medicines, such as benzo-diazepines (Xanax, Lorazepam, Diazepam, etc.) or other substances such as quetiapine, chlorpromazine, etc. Medical treatment in this fashion is usually limited in duration as most of the substances involved can be addictive.

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