焦慮症治療及輔導
什麼是「焦慮症」?
焦慮症心理治療的需要可以來自多個因素。「焦慮症」是指在沒有明確原因的情況下,身心都持續地充滿了過度而且令人不愉快的緊張狀態。焦慮症的一般或主要症狀包括有:身體緊張、自主神經系統反應過度強烈、對未來無名的擔心、感到任何情況下都過分緊張或機警。這些症狀可以是單項出現,也可以是一併出現。
焦慮症有那些危害?
焦慮症治療的介入,目的不單單只是為了減少讓人過度擔心或緊張的情緒,而是及早發現及根治有機會誘發其他疾病的因素,例如:抑鬱、持久性失眠、長期頭痛、抵抗力下降、不名的慢性痛症等等。情況嚴重時,會直接影響患者的工作或學習能力,阻礙疾病的康復進度,這不但影響生活質量、個人發展、社交能力等,同時也會增加自殘或自殺的相關風險。所以有需要時真的要作焦慮症治療、焦慮症輔導。

焦慮症治療
其實焦慮症治療或者焦慮症輔導的對象,並不是一般常見的焦慮的感覺。例如面臨重大的決定或事件時(面試、考試、生活中突發的變故等),焦慮的感覺是一種正常的情緒反應。如果我們可以適當地控制自己和利用可調的資源,便可以有效地做到減輕令人焦慮的事情,甚至引發潛能,有助我們應對變化、面對挑戰和危機。因此,臨床上焦慮症治療面向的其實是情緒與現實情況不符的反應,這些心理疾病會包括:廣泛性焦慮症、社交焦慮症、驚恐症、強迫症、創傷後遺症等。
焦慮症徵狀
不同類型的焦慮症會有不同的特徵,在焦慮症心理治療中,臨床專家正常會按個別情況而訂立焦慮症治療目標及方向。以下便是較為常見的焦慮症徵狀,可供大家決定尋求焦慮症輔導、焦慮症治療前作為參考:
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身體不適:持續過度緊張以致肌肉繃緊、身體不自主地發抖或乏力、心悸、胸悶、呼吸急促
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坐立難安:內心長期緊張不安、心緒不寧、不能制止或控制焦慮的感覺,做各種無目的的小動作
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容易情緒激動:容易心煩或憤怒、易出冷汗(手腳麻木或疼痛)
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難以放鬆或入睡:過度擔心有可怕的事情發生,睡眠質素下降,睡夢中容易驚醒
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避免社交:在社交/公眾場合持續緊張,很擔心、非常在意、甚至害怕或恐懼別人的評價及眼光

焦慮症輔導結合多種治療法
在生活中若果你明顯受以上焦慮症徵狀所影響,請盡快尋求焦慮症輔導。臨床專家張傳義博士在焦慮症心理治療方面,能夠有效地針對個別情況,利用認知行為療法、靜觀療法、生命自覺療法、放鬆訓練等,幫助患者把原本過度放大的緊張和恐懼,調校到可以接受的程度,不再對生活、工作或學習構成負面影響,在焦慮症心理治療上有著不俗的效果。
有關焦慮症治療、焦慮症輔導 - 常見問題:
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1. What is psychotherapy and counselling? What is the general process of receiving your psychotherapy and counselling services?Psychotherapy and counselling are processes of transformative change. In Hong Kong, many professional psychologists who have received specialized clinical trainings are called clinical psychologists. They not only conduct interviews and assessments with those seeking psychological assessment services but also work collaboratively with them in psychotherapy. Clinical psychologists have a deep understanding of their clients' situations and guide them to think from a different perspective, helping them gain a clearer understanding of themselves and their surroundings. This enables clients to have more choices and not be limited to just one option, positively impacting their mental state and thoughts. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is the most common form of treatment, helping clients to approach and deal with problems with a positive and proactive attitude and behaviour. Additionally, targeted psychological treatments and counselling methods may be necessary in different situations, such as Art Therapy, Humanistic Therapy, and Psychodynamic Analysis Therapy, among others. These are all recommended methods commonly used by clinical psychologists.
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2. How long does each session of counselling or psychotherapy take? And how long does the whole clinical psychological service process last?It is difficult to generalize the time and duration required for counselling and psychotherapy, as they can be influenced by multiple factors. For example, if a client's psychological issues are more severe and complex, more time may be needed for the psychological service. Other factors such as the client's background, problem-solving ability, other sources of stress at the time, and treatment goals can also affect the recommended duration of psychotherapy. It's important to emphasize that our clinical psychologists and psychotherapists constantly review the progress of the treatment process, so the length of counselling or therapy can vary. Encouraging the client to express their thoughts more (which is also recommended by the therapist) and having effective communication between both parties during the therapeutic process can significantly improve the progress of psychotherapy.
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3. Would clinical psychologists and psychotherapists provide suitable medication to those who received psychotherapy and counselling?If a clinical psychologist or psychotherapist conducts a comprehensive assessment and determines that referral to a psychiatrist is necessary based on the individual's mental state, they may issue a referral letter. After an evaluation and treatment by the psychiatrist, if medication is deemed necessary to further aid in the individual's recovery, the psychiatrist will prescribe medication to the individual.
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4. What preparation should I make if I need to receive psychotherapy and counselling?As a client of psychotherapy and counselling, it is important to try to stay relaxed and calm during the process. Feeling nervous or anxious is normal, especially if it is the first time receiving psychological services, but there is no need to overly worry about it. The key to effective psychotherapy and counselling is to be honest and open with the clinical psychologist or psychotherapist. They need to deeply understand the root causes of the client's distress, and may need to discuss their family, work, and other background information during the sessions. Therefore, it is possible that the discussion may bring up some unpleasant memories or emotions for the client, but the psychologist or therapist will encourage them to express everything they feel. However, it can be difficult and embarrassing to reveal everything to a stranger all at once, so it is okay to share at one's own pace and according to one's own feelings. It is important to note that one session is usually not enough to completely solve the problem, so clients should make follow-up appointments and reserve enough time to receive psychological services. Regularly being late, leaving early, or missing appointments will waste the psychological therapy services and greatly affect the effectiveness of the treatment.
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5. Clinical psychologists and psychotherapists recommend that client share more. What is the difference between this type of clinical psychology service and confiding in a friend?Regarding clinical psychology services, psychotherapy involves sharing and dialogue. The difference between this type of service and confiding in a friend is that clinical psychologists and psychotherapists specifically address the mental and psychological health, related issues, causes, and symptoms of the client in a professional manner. They systematically discuss these topics with the client based on theories and research findings. Psychotherapists in Hong Kong recommend this type of service because it helps clients understand their own thoughts and emotions throughout the entire psychotherapy process. Clinical psychologists and psychotherapists work with the client to set treatment goals and make changes step by step, allowing psychological problems to be resolved gradually. Therefore, to summarize, psychotherapy and counselling services in Hong Kong may include sharing emotions, but it is not simply confiding in someone. It is a systematic clinical psychotherapy service.