Take a look at not just what anxiety is, but also the clinical trials and treatment options becoming more readily available. You don’t have to live with the impact anxiety has on your daily life.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety comes in numerous forms, each with its own set of concerns. The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines the following types of anxiety disorders:

• Generalized anxiety disorder: A condition causing fear and constant feelings of being overwhelmed, with frequent and unrealistic worries. Those worries center on everyday things.
• Agoraphobia: A form of intense fear surrounding leaving your home or avoiding new places and unfamiliar situations. Unrealistic fear at being in large, open areas or crowds, and sometimes anywhere other than your home, is applicable.
• Panic disorder: This condition involves unexpected panic attacks, a sudden onset of intense worry, creating physical symptoms.
• Social anxiety disorder: This form of anxiety focuses on intense and ongoing fear of being judged negatively when in public or by other people. It often leads to pulling away from social interactions.
• Separation anxiety disorder: This type of anxiety causes intense fear when you are separated from a loved one, typically a primary caregiver.

Specific forms of anxiety also exist, such as phobias of heights or specific experiences. Data from the Cleveland Clinic indicates that about 3% of the U.S. population suffers from generalized anxiety, and about 7% suffer from social anxiety disorders.

Clinical Trials and New Treatments for Anxiety

If you’re ready to find relief from the intense fear and panic you experience, you may wish to consider clinical trials. There are various clinical trials available that can provide an opportunity for you to explore new medications or therapy-based approaches. The following are some examples of available clinical trials, but many others exist at various research hospitals, colleges, and other locations. You can find a comprehensive list through the Anxiety & Depression Association of America.

Virtual Reality

A study through the Mayo Clinic is focusing on the use of virtual reality by healthcare providers to improve focus and reduce anxiety. It evaluates the use of Reulay Virtual Reality to reduce anxiety and burnout symptoms.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Another Mayo Clinic study focuses on the use of deep-brain stimulation for treating people with treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder, a condition that frequently occurs alongside anxiety disorders. A person of any age and with any background could qualify for this study.

MM120

MM120 is a controversial treatment protocol being studied as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. A clinical trial is exploring how lysergide D-tartrate, which is an LSD-based psychedelic drug, impacts the onset and impact of anxiety and major depressive disorder. The company producing it, MindMed, has the drug in a clinical trial, which has shown, thus far, that a single dose could create rapid and long-lasting effects. The phase three clinical trial of MM120 includes a 12-week randomized study of the drug.

Aging and Reward System Response

The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) has a currently open anxiety study for those who are 60 to 80 years of age. The student is looking at whether older adults with anxiety systems experience loss of pleasure or loss of motivation when exposed to various types of inflammation. The study, called the Aging and Reward System Response to Inflammation and Anxiety Study, is in its initial phase.

Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Pulsation

Another UCLA study, called the Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Pulsation (LIFUP) for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), focuses on people between the ages of 18 and 65, specifically those who have not had improvements through other traditional forms of anxiety treatment. It considers the feasibility of using focused ultrasound stimulation on the brain to improve outcomes for patients.

The Value of Clinical Trials in Treating Anxiety

If you struggle with anxiety, seeking help through traditional methods, such as medications and talk therapy, is still an ideal first step. Yet, clinical trials provide a new level of support that could provide you with new ways to explore potential benefits. Anxiety trials range widely in how they work, what they use, and what their potential risks are. It is always wise to learn as much as you can about the study, including who is conducting it and the premise behind it, before you get started.

These trials are critical to supporting future treatment options for the millions of people who suffer from anxiety to a crippling level. Consider the role you could play by joining one in treating your symptoms and those of others in the future.