When looking at medicine and illness, the words cure and treatment are often used interchangeably, yet these two words could not be more different in meaning. A treatment is a practice or therapy that can lead to a reduction or remission of symptoms. A cure is an act that, when performed, will stop the disease or condition permanently.
There seems to be a lot of confusion over whether or not anxiety and panic disorders can be cured. A lot of this confusion, however, lies in our understanding of these words and in the terminology that we choose to use. Anxiety disorders and panic disorders are not diseases, but instead are reactions within the brain and body that are inappropriate. This means that we need to look into treating them, rather than searching to “cure” them. There is no magic cure that can ensure that anxiety never happens again, but there are treatments that can help you experience a remission of symptoms.
When you are looking at a disease that can be cured, there is typically a pathogen, virus, or bacteria that needs to be removed from the body to stop symptoms. Anxiety and panic result from a misfiring in the adrenal glands. Regardless of the disorder or the cause, this is the basic source of feelings of anxiety and panic. The goal of treatment is not, of course, to remove the adrenal response, but instead to correct the way that it works. In essence, anxiety is a treatable condition, rather than a curable one.
Treatment Can Provide Remission
With this in mind, it is also important to understand that treatment of anxiety and panic can result in remission of symptoms. For many people, this remission can be both complete and permanent. Proper treatment of phobias, for example, can remove them entirely so that exposure to the once feared stimuli no longer produces anxiety or panic.
In looking at statistics, you will find that the chances of remission are high for almost all anxiety and panic disorders, provided you seek and adhere to treatment. Some conditions can see improvement in as little as a few weeks, and remission can often occur with months or a few years of treatment. Most anxiety disorders have high remission rates, and all of these disorders show significant promise for greatly reduced symptoms when treatment is properly administered.
It is impossible to get rid of anxiety as a whole on a permanent basis, but believe it or not, this is a good thing. Anxiety, when the adrenal system is functioning properly, is an important part of your defense system. Without the “fight or flight” response, your body would not be able to react appropriately if you were even in a situation where the threat of danger or loss of life was both real and present. Your body needs to be able to produce adrenaline, allow for quick thinking and reactions, and to provide a means of response in the event of emergency.
Because you need to be able to experience anxiety in order to maintain safety, it is the goal of anxiety and panic disorder treatment to regulate your body’s responses to anxiety producing situations, objects, and stimuli. You will find that learning how to manage anxiety and panic disorders can be very effective, especially with practice. Anxiety and panic may not fall into the realm of curable conditions, but it is critical that you realize that they can absolutely be successfully treated.
Summary
The term “cure” is often used in psychology and psychiatry whenever a patient experiences a remission of symptoms, but it is important to realize that these disorders are to be treated, not cured. Anxiety is a very important part of your chemical makeup and your natural defense system. There is no cure for anxiety and panic, but treatment can make the conditions tolerable and in many cases even bring about a period of remission.