Patients suffering from anxiety are often treated with anxiety group therapy. The patients are assembled in small groups of approximately 6 to 15 people. There are both advantages and disadvantages to dealing with anxiety disorders in this way as opposed to seeing a therapist.
Anxiety Group Therapy – Advantages
It is of great help for an anxiety sufferer to know that he or she is not the only one who has problems such as these. In anxiety group therapy, the patient can interact with others without feeling ashamed or like an outsider. Since an anxiety patient sees themselves as an outsider on the fringes of society, this interaction will help them see that they are not such a freak after all.
The patients can talk about their problems with each other and share their experiences in anxiety group therapy. This can help them find solutions on their own for anxiety problems without the help of a therapist. While they are learning to cope with life, such as with the cognitive anxiety therapy, the patients can share experiences they have had that cause anxiety.
Another advantage of anxiety group therapy instead of seeing a therapist individually is it will help the patient to interact socially. A relaxed group setting lets the patient let go of anxious feelings and talk about things such as what they want out of life, their feelings, and trying to solve their problems with anxiety.
Anxiety Group Therapy – Disadvantages
There are disadvantages of anxiety group therapy as opposed to working with a therapist one on one. The therapist cannot give one patient as much attention as in a regular therapy session. The patient may become a wallflower in the group and not interact. He or she may need the individual attention a therapist can give. The patient’s specific problems may need more attention than what will happen in the group.
This is the reason that these two forms of therapy are used together for a patient to get both the individual attention and social interaction they need. The patient is seen individually away from the group. The patient’s medications is discussed as well as other special problems they have that they do not want to bring in front of the group. A licensed therapist or counselor will see all the patients’ one at a time to deal with these and other issues. Anxiety group therapy and seeing a therapist individually is a better solution than just using one of these methods.
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