Treating Anxiety
Treatment of anxiety typically involves psychological counseling, which can include psychotherapy or cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). CBT helps people identify the negative thoughts patterns that lead to anxiety and troubling feelings.
Medications help control the physical symptoms of anxiety, including shaking and rapid heartbeat. Patients should work closely with their doctor to determine the appropriate medication and dosage for them.
Medications
Anxiety is a natural response to stress. It can prevent us from sleeping, however there are treatments that can aid. Medication can help reduce anxiety symptoms and ease your life while taking care of the root cause. Combining therapy with medication can have a bigger impact on mood and quality of life.
Antidepressants can treat the root of anxiety by increasing levels of brain chemicals that create a sense of calm. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most frequently used antidepressants. They block nerve cells from reabsorbing serotonin from the brain and increase the availability of serotonin. This makes you feel more relaxed. These include drugs like Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil, and Zoloft. Other types of antidepressants that may also be used for anxiety are serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants.
Benzodiazepines, such as Xanax, Klonopin, and Valium help quickly relieve anxiety symptoms. They accomplish this by acting on brain receptors, which cause a calming affect. They are effective in treating anxiety however, they can be addictive if taken for more than four weeks. They also do not perform well over the course of.
Other antianxiety medicines like quetiapine, buspirone, and clonidine lower the level of stress hormone cortisol in your body by blocking receptors in the brain. The most common adverse result is sleepiness. There are also people who experience nausea, diarrhea constipation, nausea and sexual dysfunction while taking antidepressants or SSRIs.
Other antianxiety medications like phenytoin and melatonin work as sedatives and reduce the activity of certain brain neurons, which reduces anxiety. Antihistamines are also used to combat anxiety. They reduce the itching caused by allergies and make you feel more comfortable.
Other types of medication that are used to decrease anxiety are monoamine oxidase inhibitors, like moclobemide and Tetracycline. They are typically used after other treatments fail. Other prescription medications that have been shown to reduce anxiety in clinical trials are not licensed for this purpose but can be prescribed off-label by certain doctors.
Psychotherapy
Anxiety disorders can be treated with psychotherapy, or talk therapy with an expert in mental health. This may be a psychiatrist (a medical doctor who specializes in mental illness) psychologist, psychologist, or a licensed clinical social worker. In addition to addressing the root cause of the anxiety, the therapist will offer support and encouragement. The therapist's physical presence is essential for patients suffering from anxiety. It activates the parasympathetic nervous systems and provides them with a sense of safety.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is generally the best choice for treating anxiety. This approach teaches you how to manage your anxiety and gradually return to activities you avoided because of anxiety. This includes exposure therapy, which you gradually confront the object or situation that triggers anxiety, so that you learn to accept it and overcome your fears.
Psychotherapy can help you gain a better understanding of the reason you're so worried and how your imagination can magnify dangers that are not actually there. The therapist will also teach you about the physiology of the body's natural "flight-or-fight" response and the reasons it's not appropriate to trigger it by things that are generally harmless.
Therapy is typically conducted in a series of sessions lasting approximately an hour each and patients are often given assignments to complete between sessions. Finding the right therapist for you can be a challenge. You may have to test several before you discover a therapist you feel comfortable with.
Self-help techniques can be useful additions to psychotherapy, for example meditation, relaxation exercises and breathing techniques. You can lessen the effects of anxiety by getting enough sleep and exercising regularly. You can also avoid nicotine and caffeine. It is also possible to incorporate more laughter into your routine, as humor can be a great stress reliever. Finally, if you have an extreme anxiety attack that could compromise your safety or that of others, see your doctor for an emergency treatment, preferably with a benzodiazepine. This treatment is rarely needed, but it can be very efficient. The use of medications is not a substitute to psychotherapy but can be helpful in certain instances.
Lifestyle changes
There are a variety of lifestyle changes that, along with medication and psychotherapy, can help people with anxiety disorders. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco or alcohol, getting enough sleep, and implementing relaxation techniques can all be helpful.
A regular exercise program is a powerful stress reducer and has been shown to improve mood and self-reported anxiety symptoms. It can be a challenge to find an exercise program that is suitable for you, however even small amounts can be beneficial.
Regular, moderate graded exercise has also been shown to be effective in treating depression and has been associated with a higher remission rate of anxiety disorders. Although the mechanisms are still not clear, it is believed that exercise alters brain chemistry by modulating 5-HT Neurotransmitters in dorsal raphe nucleus and reducing levels of cortisol.
The use of acupuncture, massage therapy, and other CAM treatments has been shown to be effective in treating anxiety disorders. The evidence isn't conclusive, and poor methodological practices are often the reason for this. While certain studies show potential, the majority of these treatments don't have the clinical evidence needed for doctors to recommend them as a treatment alternative.
In addition, the relationship between food and anxiety is complex. In fact, certain foods can exacerbate anxiety symptoms. For example the highly palatable and fat-rich foods increase the production of reactive oxygen species in the brain that create or exacerbate anxiety symptoms. Dietary improvements, including the restriction of alcohol, nicotine and caffeine, has been shown to be helpful in reducing anxiety, although further research is required, including programs to help with withdrawal from substances and controlled future studies.
Other dietary supplements like omega-3 fish oil have been found to be useful in helping to reduce anxiety. Researchers believe that omega-3 fatty acids supplements may decrease the production of inflammatory chemicals and enhance the effectiveness of antidepressants in reducing anxiety symptoms. Other changes in diet that could be beneficial to anxiety sufferers include increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables, incorporating whole grains and avoiding processed food.
Herbal and dietary supplements
While herbal remedies and diet supplements have been extensively used for centuries in certain regions of the world to relieve anxiety symptoms, the efficacy and safety of these natural products is only recently tested in rigorous clinical trials. Ashwagandha, a herb that comes from Indian medicine's Ayurvedic tradition, is especially effective in controlling anxiety and stress. Amino acid precursors l-tryptophan and L-lysine are also believed to reduce anxiety symptoms by influencing neurotransmitters that play a role in the stress response.
Many people suffering from anxiety suffer from a wide spectrum of symptoms. natural remedies to treat anxiety may range from a brief feeling of nervousness or worry before menstrual cycle or surgery or menstrual flow, to more persistent feelings of anxiety and unease which are a sign of more serious anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and panic disorder (panic disorder) and social anxiety disorders. Anxiety can be debilitating, with symptoms like sweating, headaches, and trembling and sleeplessness.
Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy is a highly effective treatment for anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a kind of psychotherapy that helps patients to recognize and respond to thoughts and behaviors that cause anxiety in a different way. This approach, when used in conjunction with medication, can help treat anxiety as well as reduce the symptoms associated with it, such as fatigue and depression.
A diet high in omega-3 fatty acids may aid in reducing anxiety symptoms. These fatty acids found in fish like salmon, mackerel, and herring, have been identified to improve the health of the heart, but may also improve the brain. Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids include flaxseeds, walnuts, and chia seeds.
It is important to remember that herbal and dietary supplements are not monitored by the FDA in the same way that pharmaceutical drugs are, so there is a chance some products may be contaminated with other substances or exhibit adverse effects that could be dangerous. If you are thinking of using herbs or dietary supplements to manage anxiety, talk to your doctor before starting any regimen so that they can advise you about possible interactions with other medications you might be taking, and offer recommendations for dosages.