Q Can anxiety disorder go away completely, or do I have to manage it for life?
A Rather than eliminating anxiety entirely, building the ability to function alongside anxiety is a more realistic and sustainable goal.
Detailed Answer
Anxiety is a normal human survival response, so completely eliminating it is not the goal. The realistic goal of treatment is to reduce the intensity and frequency of anxiety and to build the ability to maintain functioning when anxiety arises (anxiety tolerance). For GAD patients who complete treatment well, the relapse rate after one year is about 30-40%, so maintaining mindfulness, exercise, and sleep hygiene remains important even after treatment ends.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang, we do not promise a complete cure, but our goal is to help patients build their own ability to self-regulate anxiety by steadily strengthening the Heart, Spleen, and Liver (gan). When treatment restores sleep, appetite, and energy and improves daily functioning, quality of life substantially rises and one reaches a state where anxiety no longer dominates life.
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