Medications and Complementary Therapies to Treat Anxiety

People suffering from anxiety are unable to manage their reactions. Everyone is worried and scared at times. Psychotherapy can help, as does medications like beta blockers (used to lower blood pressure) and benzodiazepines.

Self-help strategies may also help ease symptoms. Exercise, for instance can help reduce stress and relax your body.

Medication

If a change in lifestyle or psychotherapy don't help with your anxiety, medication may be a viable alternative. Anxiety medication helps to reduce fears and trigger the body's fight or flight response. Antidepressants are among the most popular drugs used to treat anxiety. They function by enhancing levels of certain neurotransmitters that affect mood. SSRIs like citalopram (citalopram), escitalopram (escitalopram) sertraline (prozac) and citalopram (escitalopram) are often the first drugs prescribed. SNRIs such as venlafaxine and duloxetine, as also tricyclic antidepressants, such as Tofranil (imipramine) Elavil, Tofranil (imipramine), or Pamelor can also be effective in treating anxiety.

The benzodiazepines can also be used to combat anxiety. They're quick-acting and can be extremely beneficial in the short term however they are also addictive and should only be used when other treatments don't work. Typical benzodiazepines include Valium (diazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam) and Ativan (lorazepam).

Only licensed health specialists can prescribe medication to treat anxiety. These doctors include psychologists, psychiatrists primary care physicians, and OB-GYNs. Nurse practitioners as well as family practice doctors and psychiatric nurses are also able to prescribe certain medication, but they must be trained specifically to do so.

Certain people utilize alternative therapies, like exercise, to help alleviate anxiety. You can also find relaxation techniques to reduce stress, such as deep breathing and mindfulness meditation. Biofeedback can be another beneficial technique, in which a therapist monitors your brain-wave patterns on an electroencephalograph and teaches you how anxiety is treated to control them at will.

Additionally, natural supplements such as melatonin or 5-HTP may also aid in relieving anxiety. However, it is important to consult your physician prior to taking any supplement to treat anxiety or for any other reason. Supplements together with a comprehensive treatment plan that includes lifestyle and psychotherapy will maximize the effectiveness of your treatment resistant anxiety.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most extensively studied and empirically supported psychotherapeutic approaches for treating anxiety disorders. It focuses on the maladaptive thoughts or behavior patterns that create anxiety. Despite the fact that different CBT protocols were developed for different anxiety disorders, they all share common treatment goals and techniques.

CBT begins by identifying the dysfunctional thinking patterns that contribute to anxiety. During sessions, patients learn to recognize negative beliefs and challenge them. The therapist will also help patients identify and change avoidance behaviours. The therapist will request patients to keep journals or "thought notes" outside of therapy sessions and to practice the strategies they've learned in their everyday life.

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

CBT techniques involve identifying and changing distortions of the patient's thinking like overgeneralizing and catastrophizing. The therapist can also help the patient develop strategies for coping for anxiety-provoking situations. These techniques can be utilized to treat all kinds of anxiety disorders. Often, they are incorporated into a comprehensive approach to mental health called "cognitive-behavioral therapy".

Another element of CBT is exposure therapy. Exposure therapy involves exposing the patient's anxious object or circumstance. This can be done by creating a mental picture or confronting the object or scenario in real life. A patient with PTSD, who is afraid of a specific location, could be urged by their physician to visit the site where they were attacked. Alternatively, a person with social anxiety disorder who fears speaking in public might be urged to speak in front of a group.

Some studies have proven that combining CBT with pharmaceutical therapy can improve outcomes. However, the results aren't conclusive, and further research is required. In general, combining medications with CBT is more effective than any one alone. Combinations of CBT and benzodiazepines have been proven to be especially effective in people with generalized anxiety or panic disorder.

Exposure therapy

Exposure therapy is one of the most effective methods to treat anxiety. It can help you confront the things that you are afraid of in a safe environment with an expert. The process might sound daunting but it can help you understand that your fears are not based on reality and that you can tolerate the discomfort caused by your triggers. It will also increase your confidence when it comes to navigating life's challenges.

There are a variety of exposure therapies, such as virtual reality, imaginal therapy and systematic desensitization. If you're scared to speak in public, your therapist may encourage you to practice with a buddy or imagine yourself delivering the speech. You can then gradually confront the issue with your therapist's support. Your therapist will be monitoring your anxiety and panic during each session. They will adjust the intensity of exposure if necessary.

During an appointment your therapist will show you to calm down and deal with your feelings before giving you a brief overview of the triggers that cause you fear. This can include meditation, a rhythmic breathing, and guided images. They will also teach you strategies to avoid engaging in the behaviors that cause anxiety, like staying clear of elevators. Exposure therapy is usually conducted in a series weekly sessions. Some people need more than two sessions to overcome their anxiety.

The first step is to identify what triggers your anxiety. For instance, being on a flight or being with strangers. Your therapist will help you select an exposure therapy approach that suits your personality and needs. This could mean using a hierarchical system to decide the order in which exposures are made or practicing relaxation techniques prior to starting.

In vivo therapy involves facing the situation or thing that you are scared of. This might be as simple as crossing a bridge or touching your arm. This technique can be employed to treat posttraumatic stress disorder and specific fears.

In vivo exposure therapy may be hard to fit within your schedule between appointments, so it's important to find a therapist that is skilled in this kind of cognitive behavioral therapy. You can find a qualified specialist by checking your local psychology association or mental health network. You can also read reviews or ask family and friends for recommendations.

Complementary therapies

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

Recent research found that mindfulness-based programs led to moderate improvement in anxiety-related symptoms. This approach uses different types of meditation to help promote mindfulness, which is the ability to focus on the present moment and let go of negative thoughts and emotions. This kind of meditation is suitable for nearly everyone and doesn't require any special equipment or training. However, those who have physical limitations might not be able to participate in meditative practices that involve movements.

Other therapies that can relieve anxiety include breathing exercise, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), biofeedback, self-hypnosis, and hypnosis. These techniques assist you in controlling anxiety by focus on relaxing muscles breathing, calming breath, and visual imagery. These techniques can be used at home or within a treatment environment. These techniques are often combined with other forms of therapy, such a cognitive behavioral therapy or exposure therapy.

Another method to reduce anxiety is to exercise regularly and eat a balanced, healthy diet. Regular exercise can decrease the heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels which are hormones that can cause anxiety. A healthy diet can increase your energy levels and can help reduce your anxiety.

Cognitive behavior therapy is among the most effective treatments for anxiety. It teaches you to recognize and confront negative thoughts that lead to anxiety. Your therapist will teach you how to evaluate your anxiety treatment without medicine and determine the likelihood that they'll actually happen. You can apply strategies such as looking at your fears in relation to past experiences, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of an event, and determining if it's reasonable to be worried about a possibility that might occur.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method, can be utilized to relieve stress. It is based on an assessment of excesses or deficiencies in your energy (called qi) found in specific meridians. For example, a deficiency in the kidney or spleen meridians could cause anxiety. Some studies suggest acupuncture may reduce anxiety panic attack treatment; visit the up coming post, symptoms when combined with psychotherapy or other CAM methods.