Best Therapies for Anxiety and Stress: What Really Works

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One-third of young adults in Singapore are facing symptoms of anxiety or stress. 

If you are struggling with the same, know that you are not alone.  

For many mental health issues, the best therapy for anxiety can address the root causes of your fears. 

In fact, most of us know how stress feels. Deadlines at work, marriage pressure from family, personal struggles with maintaining friendships – the list goes on. 

But experiencing these feelings is like carrying a boulder on your shoulders. It’s heavy, you can’t breathe, and you’re exhausted. 

But imagine someone helping you carry that boulder. Or better yet, imagine the weight being lifted completely. That’s what therapy in Singapore can feel like. 

In this article, we’ll shed light on the best types of therapy for anxiety, online therapy for anxiety, and share simple self-care techniques you can practise on your own too. 

Best Therapy for Anxiety

A common goal of therapy is to focus on finding the possible causes of anxiety (eg negative childhood experiences), identifying triggers, and teaching practical tools to manage or even prevent the symptoms from occurring.

You can opt for individual, couples, or family therapy - all of these are effective therapies for anxiety.

Generally, Singaporean Therapists employ a combination of various approaches. The types of therapy for anxiety may also depend on your personal preference and the severity of your symptoms.

In the section below, we’ll explore the top therapies for anxiety.

1) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety involves directly confronting your fear and has benefits that go beyond just treating anxiety.

For example, symptoms of depression may also accompany issues like anxiety disorder, which CBT can help manage. Therapists in Singapore will help you change negative thought patterns by:

• Teaching you how to identify unrealistic beliefs and challenge them
• Helping you assess the likelihood of feeling triggered
• Providing you with therapeutic skills to cope with uncertainty

A common negative thought we may experience if we have anxiety is ‘catastrophising’: immediately jumping to extreme conclusions and expecting unrealistic consequences of all events.

A therapist’s job would be to help you detect these distortions and teach you a better way to cope with distress.

Some CBT tools include:

• Breathing exercises: This helps calm your stress response and reduce immediate anxiety.
• Scheduling positive activities: This helps create intentional activities that give you joy and confidence to tackle the symptoms.
• Guided journaling: Your therapist may help you track your mood and identify triggers and patterns in your thinking.

2) Exposure Therapy

It’s only natural that we tend to avoid facing anxiety, as it can be an unpleasant emotion.

For example, if you fear heights, you may avoid looking down from a building or go out of your way to avoid travelling on a flight.

The problem that accompanies avoidance is that you may not have a chance to overcome your fears.

One of the best therapy for anxiety is exposure. During therapy sessions for anxiety, you may be gradually exposed to fearful situations or objects. Your therapist may guide you through repeated exposures to help you gain a sense of control over your anxiety.

The most common way to conduct exposure therapy is through systematic desensitisation. The three steps involved in this process are:

• Relaxation: Your therapist may use deep breathing, mindfulness, or muscle relaxation to calm down and control feelings of anxiety.
• Listing: You may be guided to create a specific and measurable list of 10-15 situations or objects you are terrified of.
• Exposure: In the final step, you and your therapist will overcome each situation in your list through relaxation techniques and exposure therapy.

3) Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

DBT is a type of talk therapy based on cognitive behavioural therapy.

DBT is also the best therapy for anxiety as it focuses on three main elements: dialectical perspective (ie opposite outlook of what you should be having), acceptance, and change.

The concept of DBT is similar to the notion of loving yourself as you are while still trying to change aspects of your life for the better.

The four skills you may learn during DBT include:

• Mindfulness: This skill helps you connect with your present thoughts without reacting to them.
• Distress tolerance: You will learn how to manage your anxiety during distress.
• Interpersonal effectiveness: Through scientific techniques, you will learn to say no, stay assertive during pressure, and ask for what you need.
• Emotional regulation: Similar to mindfulness, during therapy sessions for anxiety, you will learn how to manage your anxiety before it gets out of control

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Stress Therapy Options

One of the best therapy for anxiety and stress is mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy (MBSR).

MBSR is an approach that combines mindfulness exercises with positive thinking. Some techniques include meditation, body scans, affirmations, mindful movement and intention-setting (ie setting intentions for the day/week).

Unlike common belief, MBSR is one of the evidence-based therapies that help with stress reduction.

The two main components of MBSR are:

1. Mindfulness meditation
2. Yoga

Core principles of mindfulness that therapists in Singapore may emphasise include:

• Using mindfulness as an enjoyable tool rather than a task that you ‘have’ to do every single day. This way, mindfulness becomes more of an adventure and less of a chore.
• Focusing on individual effort, motivation, and discipline to practice meditation in various forms and exploring the techniques that most suit your needs.
• Addressing the immediate lifestyle change and personal development that may be needed to incorporate mindfulness practices into your daily schedule.

5 simple techniques in therapies that help with stress 

The benefits of therapy for anxiety and stress are countless. However, you may need to learn simple self-care tools to cope with daily stress.

Here are three stress therapy options you can try independently:

1. Box Breathing: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and hold again for 4. Repeat a few times to calm your nervous system.
2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Focus on each muscle group in your body, and tighten and release the muscles as you focus on your breathing. Start from your toes and move upwards.
3. Digital Detox: The effects of social media on mental health can be negative as much as they can be hopeful. Hence, step away from screens for an hour or more whenever you feel the negativity creep in. Take a walk, journal, or cook a meal. Engaging your entire body and physical sensations can make it easier to distract yourself from the digital dopamine.

Why Online Therapy Is the Best Therapy for Anxiety

Are you someone who might love the idea of opening up from your bed full of comfort blankets and cushions? Then, online therapy could be the best therapy for anxiety for you. In fact, you can even prepare your home for the best environment to gain the maximum benefits of online sessions.

Online therapy for anxiety may be a good fit for you if you:

• Have mild to moderate issues such as anxiety or mood swings
• Are comfortable using technology
• Struggle to step out of the house due to several reasons, such as generalised anxiety disorder, busy schedule, or family commitments
• Prefer saving travel time and the affordability option of online therapy

Making online therapy for anxiety work for you

We’ve established that seeking help online could be the best therapy for anxiety. But now what? How do we make it work for you?

Overcoming anxiety takes time, consistency, and intentional effort. However, with the right support, change is possible.

The important thing is to pick an effective therapy for anxiety, proactively work with your online therapists, and implement your learning in real life.

In addition to how therapy works for anxiety, there are some things you can do concurrently.

• Learn about anxiety: Psychoeducation not only helps you understand yourself better, but you can also learn self-care strategies to overcome milder symptoms. At TYHO, we offer high-quality anxiety treatment methods that can work for you.
• Talk to loved ones: It’s hard to go through any life experience alone. Just as we may feel the urge to share our happiness with others, talking about the downs and issues can also relieve us of stress.
• Improve your lifestyle: Although sleeping better or exercising are not the ultimate solutions to any mental distress, these small changes can complement your work in receiving the best therapy for anxiety and lead to a much healthier body and mind.

How to Find the Best Therapy for Anxiety?

You may have to do your personal research and assessments to find the best therapists.

During the research, gauge whether a therapist’s personality and therapy experience align with your needs.

For example, at Talk Your Heart Out (TYHO), you can read full descriptions of Therapists, watch their introductory videos, see what approaches they offer, and check if they can help with your issue.

Once you are sure, shortlist a couple of Therapists and book therapy sessions for anxiety with the one you relate to the most.

During the first appointment, ask your Therapist if they:

• Provide affordable therapy sessions for anxiety
• Are willing to explain the best therapy for anxiety and stress
• Have previous experience working with clients who have similar issues
• Accept constructive feedback

Asking questions will help you consider whether to move forward with a professional. If the fit isn’t right, feel free to look for other Therapists from your shortlist.

Sometimes, finding the best Therapist can take a while. Still, it may be the most contributing factor towards receiving strong and meaningful support.

Conclusion

If you live with an anxiety disorder, you may not have peace of mind and the energy to get through every day.

Seeking the best therapy for anxiety can help you better manage it.

Based on the specific type of anxiety, your therapist will help you overcome symptoms and guide you towards the life you dream of living.

Know that anxiety is manageable and can be controlled through the right support.