Through the years of working as a social worker I have been case manager to many different people. I worked for government agencies for twenty years so this has meant that I work in a variety of areas. I have special training in working with children and families, but there have been times when I have been transferred to work with the elderly and adult mentally ill because of agency staffing patterns. In some ways it gets frustrating being moved from one population to another, but it also helps me learn about different disorders as well as services that are available. Basically helping people, no matter what their disability, is being able to listen to what they need and finding services to address those needs.
One disorder that is common among all ages of the population is dealing with anxiety. Everyone becomes anxious over different things in their lifetime. For most of us anxiety disappears when the event or situation is over, but for some people with generalized anxiety it is not this simple. They are individuals that need to be involved with a professional for treatment of anxiety. This can be done effectively in a number of ways. For some people the treatment of anxiety needs to begin with individual counseling so the person has a chance to discuss the types of things or situations that are anxiety producing for them. This also gives the therapist a chance to access if the person would benefit from medication. As the person advances in their comfort level in their treatment of anxiety they may be moved into a group counseling session. Speaking and interacting in a group setting is a very common fear. Being able to address this fear with a group of others that understand and support you can be very healing. For the people that are so anxious and nervous that they cannot go out in public the treat of anxiety may need to begin with the therapist coming to their home. This intense level of anxiety can become so paralyzing for the person experiencing it that they develop physical symptoms. Their breathing and heart rate can become affected and they may develop ulcers. Many people in a severe anxiety attack are rushed to the hospital because those around them assume they are having a heart attack. Anxiety may develop at any age in a person’s development. Many times when it develops in adults it is following some type of trauma. This is often referred to as post traumatic stress disorder. This disorder is quite complex and takes a different approach than dealing with the treatment of anxiety. Many members of the military develop post traumatic stress disorder as a result to exposure to intense military action. For them anxiety is one of many complicated symptoms.
