Which of the following is NOT a nonpharmacologic strategy for anxiety?

Study for ELNEC 4: Symptom Management in Palliative Care Test with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Hints and explanations included! Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a nonpharmacologic strategy for anxiety?

Managing anxiety in palliative care involves distinguishing strategies that don’t involve medications from those that do. Nonpharmacologic approaches focus on communication, psychosocial support, and relaxation techniques. Acknowledging fears and using open-ended questions helps patients express worries and feel heard, which can reduce distress. Consulting with chaplains provides spiritual support that can address existential concerns contributing to anxiety. Relaxation and guided imagery teach the body to calm down and shift attention away from distressing thoughts, often easing anxious symptoms without drugs. The option that is not a nonpharmacologic strategy is pharmacologic treatment with benzodiazepines. This involves using a medication to reduce anxiety, which makes it pharmacologic rather than a nonpharmacologic approach. In practice, such meds may be used when nondrug strategies are insufficient, but they carry considerations like sedation, delirium risk, and potential dependence, so they are typically added after evaluating nonpharmacologic options.

Managing anxiety in palliative care involves distinguishing strategies that don’t involve medications from those that do. Nonpharmacologic approaches focus on communication, psychosocial support, and relaxation techniques. Acknowledging fears and using open-ended questions helps patients express worries and feel heard, which can reduce distress. Consulting with chaplains provides spiritual support that can address existential concerns contributing to anxiety. Relaxation and guided imagery teach the body to calm down and shift attention away from distressing thoughts, often easing anxious symptoms without drugs.

The option that is not a nonpharmacologic strategy is pharmacologic treatment with benzodiazepines. This involves using a medication to reduce anxiety, which makes it pharmacologic rather than a nonpharmacologic approach. In practice, such meds may be used when nondrug strategies are insufficient, but they carry considerations like sedation, delirium risk, and potential dependence, so they are typically added after evaluating nonpharmacologic options.

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