2020 is a year in which fears are likely to take up more space for many people than in other years. The concern of contracting the coronavirus. The fear of losing one's job or not being able to find one due to the economic situation. The fear of barely being able to see family and friends in another possible lockdown.
If these and other - quite realistic - fears get so out of hand that those affected are almost exclusively concerned with this fear, actually avoid everyday things because of the fear and also suffer panic attacks, one speaks of a generalized anxiety disorder.
Bridge long waiting times
The problem is by no means rare. Experts estimate that around four to six percent of the population has or has already had such an anxiety disorder.
Behavioral therapy is recommended for those affected to help overcome the disorder. Studies have shown that this helps many people. However, in practice it is often difficult to find a therapist - or you have to wait a long time for a treatment place. Are there other ways to treat anxiety disorder?
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
What is the fear? Up arrow Down arrow
Affected people are overly afraid of an accident or illness. They have many unfounded worries about everyday circumstances such as their job, or they fear that bad things such as accidents could happen to their own children. Generalized fears often emerge in young adulthood: around five percent of the population suffer from it once in their life. Women are affected more often than men.
What does fear do to those affected? Up arrow Down arrow
The excessive worries are uncontrollable; those affected cannot suppress them. Example: During an important professional appointment, the person concerned cannot get rid of the fear that something might have happened to the children on the way to school. The result: He is restless, unfocused and quickly tired even after simple activities. Physical symptoms such as dizziness, sweating, tremors, nausea or a racing heart can also occur. In the worst case, the fear leaves no strength for everyday tasks. Because unlike other anxiety disorders, fear-inducing situations cannot be avoided because the fear is not associated with specific situations.
What can those affected do? Up arrow Down arrow
Basically, anxiety disorders can be treated well. Doctors and psychologists usually rely on behavior therapy first. There, those affected learn strategies to better deal with their fears and to confront them - for example, by consciously experiencing that the consequences they feared will not materialize. Another effective means can be active planning of everyday life. If you don't have a break, you don't have time to brood. Affected people can even recite poems internally. Self-help groups also support them.
Behavioral therapy, yoga, stress counseling
According to a new study published in the journal "Jama Psychiatry", yoga - or more precisely: Kundalini Yoga - does not help as well as behavior therapy. But it has at least a small effect, according to research by Naomi Simon of New York's Grossman School of Medicine. Kundalini Yoga includes physical exercises, relaxation techniques and mediation.
In their investigation, the research team wanted to examine
whether behavior therapy and Kundalini Yoga are more effective against an anxiety disorder than a control measure in the form of stress counseling,
whether yoga is any less effective than behavioral therapy.
226 people affected by an anxiety disorder took part in the study and were randomly assigned to one of the three groups (behavior therapy, yoga, stress counseling). All three measures had the same amount of time: There were twelve two-hour appointments within five weeks, and the participants were also required to devote 20 minutes to homework from the respective program for 20 minutes each day.
All in all, most of the measures were very well received. There were also relatively few side effects, such as dizziness during a yoga class or greater anxiety as part of behavior therapy and stress training.
Immediately after the end of the program and six months later, the participants were asked in a structured manner whether and how their symptoms had improved. Immediately after the program, around 71 percent of the participants who had done behavior therapy had a significant improvement. In the yoga group it was around 54 percent, in the control group with stress training it was at least a third.
Six months later, around 77 percent of the behavior therapy participants were able to continue to report a significant improvement, in the yoga group it was around 63 percent and in the stress training group 48 percent.
Anxiety-relieving effects through Kundalini Yoga?
The result primarily confirms something already known: that behavior therapy is the first choice for treating generalized anxiety disorder. Added to this is the realization that - as the study authors put it - "Kundalini Yoga may have some short-term anxiolytic effects for some people, but these may not be as strong or not lasting".
Yoga is therefore probably not a substitute for behavioral therapy - but for some it may be a way of bridging the waiting time for a therapy place. In contrast to therapy, however, you usually have to pay for the yoga lessons yourself. Some health insurance companies now grant a subsidy for certain yoga courses, but this is usually done as part of disease prevention.
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