V. Can I use this with other treatments to help with my anxiety?

Cognitive strategies should be part of your total efforts to lower anxiety. As you have seen in this lesson, there are many way stress and anxiety can affect the body in our every day and long-term lives, both in our minds and bodies. Cognitive Therapy has been shown to be beneficial in adjusting the thoughts that lead to fear or panic. Since thoughts and beliefs come before action and new activities, Cognitive Exercises can free your mind for other activities that will further reduce anxiety and bring lasting anxiety reduction. When using cognitive exercises as part of your treatment plan for anxiety, you can keep in mind the following:

1. Behavioural strategies are often combined with cognitive therapies to address the thoughts, self-talk and scripts that lead to passive avoidance (not responding as a way to avoid the situation) or safety behaviours. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or other Behavioural Exercises can be the next step in freeing you from anxiety after you have developed new, positive ways of thinking and self-talk through cognitive exercises.
2. Medication treatment may be needed to help some people with anxiety to maximize the benefits of cognitive exercises. (See Lesson 4) Also, if you are already taking medication or are thinking about medication for anxiety, combining it with cognitive strategies can be more beneficial than medications alone.
3. Because some worry or avoidance behaviours result in inactivity or isolation, cognitive therapies should be combined with Physical Exercise. Physical Exercise within itself is healthy for your mind and body, and has been shown to help lower anxiety when you choose the activities that suit you best.  Also, positive self-talk can enhance your exercise and sport activity experience, so cognitive and physical exercises go hand-in-hand in improving your anxiety symptoms.
4. Cognitive therapies are often a team effort between a therapist and you, or with partners or supportive individuals. At the same time, having positive effective social support can help improve your progress. If some of your fears and anxiety stem from working with people, you can see our lesson on Social Support and learn how people can actually help you to achieve your anxiety reduction goals.
5. After trying other therapies or combining them with these cognitive exercises, you may find that the exercises presented in this lesson are all you need for your level of anxiety. You can always use cognitive exercises by themselves without other therapies.