Treating Anxiety Disorders
If your anxiety interferes with daily activities and is persistent, talk to an expert in mental health. Psychologists are experts in psychotherapy and can prescribe medications. Psychologists are medical professionals that specialize in mental health treatments.
You can manage your anxiety by taking advantage of medications, counseling, and other treatments. You can also learn strategies for managing stress and join support groups (both in person and online).
Medication
Anxiety disorders can be treated with psychotherapy (talk therapy) or medication or an amalgamation of both. Talk therapy assists people in finding better ways to cope with their worries and reduce the symptoms. Sleep, exercise and methods for managing stress can help improve mood. The medications can reduce the severity of anxiety and make the other treatments more effective.
People with an anxiety disorder are more susceptible to developing other mental health issues, such as depression. Depression symptoms often overlap with those of anxiety, which is why it is essential to treat both simultaneously. A psychiatrist trained to treat mental illness can diagnose anxiety and prescribe medication to ease symptoms.
The risk of developing anxiety disorders is enhanced by certain life experiences as well as inherited traits. Trauma, such as an accident in a car or war can trigger anxiety disorder in certain people. Anxiety disorders can be caused by chronic illnesses or care for others. An anxiety disorder can also be caused by addiction to drugs, particularly alcohol and illegal substances.
Antidepressants are a primary treatment option for many anxiety disorders. Many clinical studies have shown that modern antidepressants, called SNRIs or SSRIs, such as duloxetine and escitalopram, (Cymbalta) and escitalopram and (Lexapro) are efficient. Diazepam, or Valium, is also used to relieve anxiety swiftly. They aren't typically prescribed for longer than 4 weeks as they can become addictive and stop working well.
Other forms of medication that are sometimes used to treat anxiety include beta-blockers, such as propranolol (Inderal) and atenolol (Toprol XL), which can reduce blood pressure and heart rate. Anticonvulsants, like the drug levothyroxine sodium (Levothyrix) can help control shaking and trembling. Low doses of antipsychotic medications, such as buspirone (BuSpar) are helpful for people who have physical symptoms of anxiety, like a fast heartbeat or sweating.
Some sedatives such as clonazepam, (Klonopin) are only able to be purchased through a prescription. Some people with severe anxiety take monoamine oxidase inhibits, such as Anxair (moclobemide).
Psychotherapy
While it is normal for children at times to feel anxiety or fear, these feelings shouldn't affect their daily lives or cause them to withdraw or isolate themselves from their families, friends or school. Anxiety disorders can lead to severe depression, or other mental health issues that affect one's quality of life. People suffering from these disorders often need psychotherapy (counseling) as well as medication to treat their symptoms.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most common psychotherapy used for anxiety disorders. It helps you to change the thoughts that cause anxiety. Your therapist will assist you to learn relaxation techniques and discover ways to manage when you feel negative emotions. Exposure therapy can also be utilized to gradually expose you situations that cause anxiety. This is accomplished by making an inventory of your triggers and ranking them according to their intensity and then gradually exposing yourself to them through a process known as systematic desensitization.
Your therapist will teach you how to confront irrational beliefs and preconceptions. They'll show you how to test your beliefs about yourself through experiments, weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of avoiding or worrying about and determining the real likelihood that something bad could happen.
Psychiatrists may prescribe short-term and long-term medication to treat anxiety disorders. Antidepressants, such as SSRIs and buspirone can help with anxiety by altering chemicals in the brain which regulate mood. Benzodiazepines, such as diazepam or lorazepam are useful in promoting relaxation of the muscles and in calming the brain. SNRIs such as venlafaxine can help with anxiety because they boost serotonin levels as well as norepinephrine levels in the brain.
Psychiatrists will be able to monitor your symptoms, answer any questions and make changes to your treatment plan when needed. It could take a while to recover from your disorder dependent on the severity of your condition. It is possible to test various treatments or therapists until you find the one that works for you. To see results, it's important to adhere to your treatment plan. The longer you wait to seek help, the worse your symptoms can become.
Therapy for interpersonal relationships
Interpersonal therapy is a short-term kind of psychotherapy that focuses on resolving interpersonal problems. It typically takes between 12 and 16 sessions to complete. It has been empirically proven to help improve anxiety and depression symptoms. It has also been proven to be effective in treating depression that is comorbid with PTSD. It can also be helpful in addressing social and work-related issues for people suffering from PTSD.
The opening sessions (1-3) concentrate on gathering information and identifying trouble areas. The therapist can help you create a list of your most important relationships. The therapist will help you to prioritize these issues based on your needs and the potential for improvement. In the middle sessions (4-14), you and your therapy therapist will collaborate to discover solutions to these issues. Then, you will apply the new strategies to your daily life between sessions.
One of the most significant aspects of IPT is that it frames the patient's problems as a medical illness instead of a character flaw or personal failure. This can help patients overcome self-doubt and guilt. It also helps patients understand that their symptoms are a result of their current conditions and medical illness.
Choose a therapist that is licensed and specialized in the condition you are dealing with. Check out the therapist's qualifications and background. You can also ask other doctors for recommendations. Before starting therapy, ensure that you and your therapist agree on the goals of the sessions. For example, you might want to focus on improving your relationship skills or overcoming your fear of intimacy.
Self-help
Anxiety is a normal reaction to some stressful events, but it becomes a disorder when it is so intense that it interferes with your daily life. People suffering from anxiety disorders typically require medication and psychotherapy to recover. Self-help methods are a great way to reduce anxiety symptoms and make it easier to cope with them. For instance breathing exercises and relaxation can lower your heart rate and help calm your mind. Try doing them at least once a day, paying attention to the way your body feels when you breathe in and out. Identifying negative thought patterns and replacing them with positive ones can reduce anxiety.
Changing your diet and getting regular exercise can help you feel better. panic anxiety disorder could be able reduce your intake of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, which can cause or worsen anxiety. Regular exercise relieves tension and stimulates the brain to produce serotonin. This chemical is thought to boost mood. Try to do at minimum 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week.
There are many ways to find self-help for anxiety, including self-help groups, self-help books and online resources. Some of these resources provide various exercises that can be performed at home, for example, finding the triggers that cause anxiety and figuring out how to overcome your anxiety. Some of them also include face-to-face sessions with therapists and other people who are suffering from the same issues.
Psychological interventions are the most effective treatment for anxiety disorders, and they include cognitive behavioural therapy, which helps you change patterns of thinking that lead to anxiety exposure therapy, in which you gradually confront the situations and people or objects that trigger your anxiety; and complementary health practices such as breathing exercises, meditation and a sense of relaxation. These techniques can be utilized in conjunction with medication.
Some people need to consult a doctor to rule out medical conditions that could be the cause anxiety. Then, they can begin treatment. Anxiety disorders can be debilitating and can interfere with school, work and social life. They can also lead to depression, which is linked with a higher chance of suicide. Patients who don't seek treatment for their symptoms have an increased chance of becoming a more serious mental health problem.