Anxiety Disorder Help
If you experience persistent anxiety symptoms, it is possible to seek help. Treatment for anxiety disorders usually includes medication and therapy.
Your doctor could prescribe medications to help with anxiety, such as benzodiazepines or modern antidepressants. SSRIs, such as Lexapro and Prozac and SNRIs like duloxetine and venlafaxine are common examples. Your therapist can also instruct you on techniques to help reduce anxiety symptoms, like confronting negative thoughts or exposure therapy.
Medicines
Medication is one option to treat anxiety disorders and can reduce the need for psychotherapy. They're not suitable for everyone, and there are other alternatives. Healthy eating, exercise, and relaxation techniques can help reduce stress without the necessity of medication. But if you are taking medication to control your anxiety, it's important to stick with the dosages and keep your therapy appointments.
Antidepressants are often prescribed by doctors to patients suffering from anxiety disorders. These medications help to correct an imbalance in brain chemicals and can take four to six weeks to begin working. SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are the most common antidepressants to treat anxiety. Drugs such as Zoloft (sertraline), Prozac (fluoxetine) and Lexapro (escitalopram) are effective by affecting neurotransmitters that are involved in mood. Other medications, like SNRIs, such as Effexor (venlafaxine) and Cymbalta (duloxetine), are also prescribed for both depression and anxiety.
If SSRIs don't work, doctors may prescribe benzodiazepines to treat anxiety symptoms. These are tranquilizers that work by targeting gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, a chemical in the brain that has the ability to calm. The most popular benzodiazepines are Klonopin (clonazepam), Xanax (alprazolam) and Valium (diazepam). They can have serious side effects, including addiction, and are typically prescribed only for short-term use.
Other medications, such as propranolol (approved for the treatment of social anxiety disorder), work by inhibiting the actions of a chemical called monoamine oxidase. They don't affect the brain in the same manner as benzodiazepines, but they can be more effective and do not have the same side effects. The benzodiazepines and the SNRIs are usually reserved for those suffering from severe anxiety, whereas SSRIs are able to be used for a wide range of anxiety disorders.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy or talk therapy can be included in a treatment plan to treat anxiety disorder. A trained mental health professional will help you choose the best type of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy involves talking with a therapist and developing skills and techniques for managing anxiety.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of psychotherapy that helps you learn to overcome anxiety-related thoughts and behavior. CBT teaches you to recognize and break destructive patterns of thinking, feeling and behavior. It also helps you identify the specific situations, objects or people that cause anxiety and the best way to deal with these triggers. CBT is a suggested treatment for many types of anxiety disorders.
The EMDR technique is a type of psychotherapy that is used to treat anxiety disorders . In this therapy you'll lie down on a couch or a reclined chair while the counselor guides you through various stages of the therapy which may include following an object through your eyes or listening to music or reminiscing about a negative incident from your past (for instance, being scared of thunderstorms because someone broke up with you during a severe storm). EMDR can assist you in overcoming these negative associations and reduce your anxiety symptoms.
Interpersonal psychotherapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on improving relationships and social functioning. IPT is not a cure for anxiety, but it may help you deal with problems that may be contributing to anxiety.
Exercise
Exercise is a proven method to relieve stress and anxiety. It is also essential for physical health and can improve sleep and sleep patterns, both of which can be impacted by anxiety disorders. It is also an inexpensive treatment that is possible to do on your own.
The types of exercise that work best vary however, most studies confirm the effectiveness of everything from tai-chi to high-intensity interval training. The most important thing is to find something you like which will increase your likelihood of participating and increase your resilience. Exercise is also an excellent method to escape the daily grind and reduce anxiety-related ruminations. This is particularly beneficial for those who struggle to deal with the Distraction Theory. According to this psychological theory, anxious patients tend not to engage in social interactions and are more likely to engage in excessive self talk and worry.
Exercise does not eliminate anxiety, but it can be used in conjunction with other treatments to lessen the severity of symptoms. Exercise and exposure therapy can help a patient overcome their fear of flying or driving. Attention training is another effective method that can help a person control their brain waves. During a series of sessions with a certified therapist, the patient watches their own brain waves on an electroencephalograph monitor and teaches themselves to achieve a more relaxed state at will.
Exercise isn't the only solution for anxiety however, it can be an effective treatment. It's likely to be a part of the future of treatment for anxiety disorders, especially since many doctors offer "exercise on prescription" plans where patients are given the opportunity to participate in a training program at a reduced cost at an exercise facility in the area.
Relaxation techniques
Relaxation techniques can reduce anxiety and stress through the body's relaxation response, which is characterized as an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. These techniques include meditation, deep breathing, guided imagery, and biofeedback-assisted relaxation. These methods are the most efficient for a large number of people if they use them regularly.
You can learn these techniques from your mental health professional or a health care professional. They can also give you the tools you need to apply them at your own pace. Your healthcare team may also suggest that you participate in self-help and group therapy groups, which can be beneficial for meeting others with similar issues. Staying in touch with family and friends, exercising daily and staying clear of alcohol and other drugs can be helpful in alleviating stress.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy are two kinds of psychotherapy for anxiety disorders. CBT helps you identify and confront the negative thoughts and irrational fears that cause anxiety. Then, you learn to replace these thoughts with more realistic, calm ones. Exposure therapy involves slowly facing situations that trigger anxiety until you are able to manage the situation without anxiety. Usually, you begin with the most frightening situations and then move on to more challenging ones.
Other psychological treatments include mindfulness, support groups and hypnosis. These treatments can be especially beneficial for those who suffer from co-occurring disorders, like depression and substance abuse. Sleeping enough and eating well are other helpful habits that can help ease the symptoms. It is essential to engage in regular exercise because it helps in burning off the stress chemicals that are produced during a stressful period. It is also important to develop strong relationships with other people because loneliness and isolation may increase anxiety symptoms.
Healthy eating habits
Anxiety can trigger a variety of physical symptoms and behaviors, including abdominal pain, muscle tension and feelings of panic. It is normal to feel anxious or anxious occasio
