People with anxiety disorders often also abuse alcohol or have alcohol dependence. All anxiety disorders involve long-lasting and excessive fear, and can be classified according to the cause of the fear: generalized anxiety disorder (everyday situations), obsessive-compulsive disorder (repetitive thoughts and behaviours), panic disorder (panic attacks), post-traumatic stress disorder (previous traumatic events), social anxiety disorder (negative judgements by others) and specific phobia (specific objects or situations). When people with anxiety disorders abuse or are dependent on alcohol, they may be more disabled and difficult to treat than when they have either condition on its own. Psychotherapy is most often used in treating anxiety disorders in people with alcohol use problems. In psychotherapy people are encouraged to explore their feelings, moods, behaviours, thoughts and reactions to the cause of their anxiety. Psychotherapy does not always work though, so it is important to test whether medications are an effective treatment option.
