Thursday, 28 June 2012

Hamilton anxiety scale describing their symptoms Rating Scale exactly how severe

How severe Hamilton anxiety scale

One of the tools used to determine the severity of a patients' anxiety is the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. This is a 14 point questionnaire that breaks down all of the possible symptoms of anxiety to decide exactly how severe the patients' case is. While the first 13 questions are basically an interview conducted by a therapist, the last question is based on their perception of how the individual is doing. The questionnaire itself is meant to rate the severity of symptoms such as mood, tension, physical symptoms and fears. The doctor interviews the patient and records the answers on the test, giving them a rating from 0-4. Upon completion of the test, the results are added up and based on the total, it will give a general idea of how severe the case of anxiety is. If the total score is a 17 or less, the case of anxiety is deemed to be mild. However, this depends on the honesty of the person when describing their symptoms. For some it can be difficult to answer honestly, being ashamed of their anxiety and will try to hide how they are actually feeling. A skilled therapist should be able to spot this and coax the true feelings to the surface. If the total score in the 18-24 range, the person is deemed to have a mild to moderate case and should be able to overcome the anxiety on their own or with some assistance from a therapist. Learning breathing techniques and how to adjust your mentality in certain situation will help to reduce anxiety for you if your anxiety is at this level. However, a score from 25-50 indicates you are suffering from severe anxiety and it is likely you will need assistance in overcoming your attacks. The test itself is fairly simple and you can see it online (do a search and you should find it). As with any type of evaluation, the skill of the interviewer is critical. You can see by the questions that they are not only based on an answer from the patient, but there also has to be some intuition on the part of the interviewer to correctly interpret their answers. However simple this test may appear, it consistently delivers accurate results in testing for anxiety. It has stood the test of time and will continue to be used by health care professionals in the evaluation and treatment of anxiety disorders. You CAN deal with your anxiety and panic attacks without drugs and without spending a fortune on programs and counseling. For more information, grab your free report: The Anxiety Diet No-No's

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