Medications and Complementary Therapies to Treat Anxiety

Everyone fears and worries at times, but people who suffer from anxiety symptoms and treatment have a tough time controlling their reactions. Psychotherapy can help, as do medications such as beta blockers (used for blood pressure) and benzodiazepines.

Self-help strategies can also ease symptoms. Exercise, for instance, helps to reduce stress and relaxes your body.

Medication

If lifestyle changes or psychotherapy aren't helping your anxiety then medication could be a good option. Anxiety medications reduce anxiety signals and the fight or flight response within the body. Antidepressants, the most popular medication used to treat anxiety, are antidepressants. They boost levels of certain neurotransmitters which influence mood. SSRIs like citalopram (citalopram), escitalopram (escitalopram) and sertraline (prozac) and citalopram (escitalopram) are usually the first medications prescribed. SNRIs such as duloxetine, venlafaxine and tricyclic antidepressants such as Tofranil (imipramine), Elavil, or Pamelor are also effective in treating anxiety.

Benzodiazepines are also sometimes used to treat anxiety. They are fast-acting and may be beneficial in the short-term. However, they are addictive. The most commonly used benzodiazepines are Valium (diazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam) and Ativan (lorazepam).

Only licensed health care professionals can prescribe medications to treat anxiety. They can be psychiatrists, psychologists, primary care physicians and some OB-GYNs. Nurse practitioners, family practice doctors and psychiatric nurses can also prescribe certain medications, but they must get special training in doing this.

Certain people make use of alternative therapies, like exercise, to ease anxiety. They can also discover ways to relax and reduce stress, such as mindfulness meditation and deep breathing. Biofeedback can be another beneficial technique, in which a therapist monitors your brain-wave patterns on an electroencephalograph and teaches you how to control them at will.

Additionally natural supplements like 5-HTP and melatonin may help to ease anxiety. Talk to your doctor prior to taking supplements for anxiety, or any other health condition. Supplements can be taken in conjunction with a comprehensive therapy plan that includes lifestyle changes, psychotherapy and supplements.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is among the most extensively studied and empirically validated psychotherapeutic strategies for treating anxiety disorders. It targets the maladaptive thoughts or behavior patterns that lead to anxiety. Despite the fact that different CBT protocols were designed for different anxiety disorders they all share common goals and strategies for treatment.

The first step in CBT is to recognize problematic thought patterns that cause anxiety. Through sessions, patients learn to recognize these negative beliefs and confront them. The therapist also helps patients recognize and modify behaviors that cause them to avoid. The therapist will ask patients to keep journals or "thought notes" outside of sessions and to practice the strategies they've learned in everyday life.

The ultimate goal is to teach patients how to be their own therapists, aiding them in understanding their current patterns in thinking and behavior. This will enable them overcome unfounded fears and anxiety, as well as other negative emotions and be more resilient.

CBT methods include identifying and reversing mental distortions that affect the patient that lead to overgeneralization, catastrophizing, and minimizing positive events. The therapist will also help the patient develop strategies to cope for stressful situations. These techniques can be applied to all kinds of anxiety disorders. Often, they are incorporated into a comprehensive approach to mental health called "cognitive-behavioral therapy".

The exposure therapy is a different aspect of CBT. Exposure therapy involves exposing the patient's anxiety-inducing object or situation. This can be done by imagining or confronting the situation or object in real life. A patient suffering from PTSD who is afraid of a particular location, could be urged by their doctor to visit the site where they were attacked. A person with social anxiety disorder, who is scared of speaking in public, may be encouraged to deliver an address in front of a group.

Some studies have proven that combining CBT and pharmaceutical therapy can improve outcomes. These results are not conclusive, and more research is needed. In general, mixing medications with CBT is more effective than each by itself. Combinations of benzodiazepines with CBT have been shown to be particularly efficacious in patients suffering from panic disorder as well as generalized anxiety disorder.

Exposure therapy

One of the most effective ways to treat anxiety is exposure therapy, which can help you confront the things that make you anxious in a safe environment with a therapist. The process might sound daunting but it can help you understand that your fears are unfounded and you can accept the discomfort that triggers you. It can also increase your confidence to face life's challenges.

There are a variety of treatments for exposure, including imaginal therapy, virtual reality and systematic desensitization. If you're afraid to speak in public, your therapist could advise you to practice with a buddy or imagine yourself delivering the speech. Then, you'll gradually confront the situation in real life with the help of your therapist's support. During each session your therapist will examine you to see if you're feeling anxious or panicked and adjust the intensity depending on the needs.

During the session, the therapist teaches you how to relax and cope with your emotions and then introduces you to triggers that can make you feel scared. This may include techniques such as meditation, breathing with rhythm, and guided imagery. They will also teach you ways to avoid engaging in the behaviors that cause anxiety, like avoiding elevators. Exposure therapy is typically conducted in a series weekly sessions. Some people require more than two sessions to overcome their fear.

The first step is to pinpoint what is the best anxiety treatment triggers your anxiety. For instance, being on a flight or being in the presence of strangers. Your therapist will assist you select an approach to exposure therapy that will suit your personality and needs. This might involve using a hierarchy to determine the order in which exposures are given or a series of relaxation exercises prior to beginning.

In vivo therapy is the process of confronting the thing or situation you are scared of. It could be as easy as crossing a bridge or having someone else contact your arm. This method can be used to treat specific fears and posttraumatic stress disorder.

It can be difficult to squeeze in the vivo exposure therapy in between appointments. Therefore it is crucial to find a therapist that is skilled in this type of cognitive therapy. You can find a certified specialist through your local psychology group or mental network. It's an excellent idea to read reviews and ask family members or friends for recommendations.

Complementary therapies

Complementary therapies cover a wide range of healthcare treatments not considered to be part of Western medicine. They can aid in reducing Travel anxiety Treatment by teaching relaxation techniques and promoting healthy lifestyle choices. These treatments include acupuncture, herbal medicine, meditation, Yoga massage, music therapy and yoga. They can also aid in relieving depression symptoms by reducing levels of stress hormones in your body.

Recent research revealed that mindfulness-based programs resulted in moderate improvements in anxiety-related symptoms. This method uses a variety of methods of meditation to increase mindfulness or the ability of being present in the moment while getting rid of negative thoughts and emotions. This type of meditation can be done by everyone, and does not require any special equipment or any special training. People with physical limitations might not be able to take part in meditation that requires movement.

Other therapies that can relieve anxiety include breathing exercise and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) biofeedback, self-hypnosis and hypnosis. These techniques can help you control your anxiety by focusing on relaxing muscles breathing, calm breaths and visual imagery. They can be practiced at home or in a treatment setting. These techniques are often used in combination with other types of therapy, such as exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Regular exercise and eating balanced meals are two more ways to reduce anxiety. Regular exercise can reduce your heart rate, blood-pressure, and cortisol levels, which are hormones that contribute to anxiety. A healthy diet can make you feel more energetic which can decrease your feelings of anxiety.

Cognitive behavior therapy is among the most effective anxiety treatments. It teaches you to recognize and confront negative thoughts that lead to anxiety. Your therapist will show you how to assess your fears and determine the probability that they will actually occur. You can apply strategies such as looking at your fears in relation to past experiences, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of an incident, and determining if it is realistic to be concerned about something that could happen.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese technique, can be utilized to treat stress. It is based upon an assessment of excesses or deficiencies in your energy (called qi) found in specific meridians. For instance, a deficiency in the kidney or spleen meridians can cause anxiety. Acupuncture can help alleviate anxiety symptoms when combined with psychotherapy and other CAM approaches.