Intervention in panic and anxiety disorders through lifestyle modification

Abstract

A combination of habitual lifestyle behaviors such as diet, fluid intake, exercise, and habitual lifestyle drug use (such as caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine) may interact with altered sensitivity in body system function in some panic disorder clients. (Lambert et al., 2007) Unhealthy habitual lifestyle behaviors add to the burden of local, national, and global health. When reviewing evidence of potential causes of panic disorder, at least six body systems are known to have altered sensitivity affected by habitual behaviors such as diet, fluid intake, exercise, and habitual lifestyle drug use (for example, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol). This may also be true for other forms of anxiety disorder. Occupational therapists (OTs) work with everyday occupational behaviors that include habitual lifestyle factors. Negotiating a positive lifestyle change can affect anxiety symptoms through addressing systemic sensitivity. The occupational therapy lifestyle intervention discussed here centers on occupational form, performance, and synthesis related to habitual lifestyle behaviors that can therefore affect the development, experience, severity, and duration of anxiety symptoms. A recent random controlled study observed a significant short-term benefit (20 weeks). At long-term follow-up (10 months after entry into the trial), clinical results were equivalent to those achieved with full cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). A model of the system within which the approach functions is presented. © Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009.