How To Tell If You're All Set To Treating Anxiety
Treating Anxiety
Treating anxiety typically involves psychological counseling, which can include psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps people recognize the harmful thought patterns that lead to anxious and troublesome feelings.
The use of medication can help reduce physical symptoms of anxiety, such as shaking and rapid heartbeat. Patients must consult with their doctor to determine the appropriate medication and dosage for them.
Medicines
Anxiety is a natural reaction to stress. It can hinder us from sleeping, but there are treatments that can aid. Medication can help reduce anxiety symptoms and ease your life while taking care of the root cause. A combination of medication and therapy may make a bigger impact on your mood and improve your quality of life.
Antidepressants relieve anxiety by increasing levels of chemicals that help you calm down in your brain. The most commonly used kind of antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which prevent neurons in the brain from absorbing serotonin and boost its availability, allowing you to feel more calm. These include drugs like Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil and Zoloft. Antidepressants, such as serotonin-norepinephrine inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants, as well as others are also used to combat anxiety.
Benzodiazepines, like Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam) and Valium (diazepam) works quickly to reduce anxiety symptoms by stimulating the brain's receptors to create a calming effect. They are effective in treating anxiety however, they can become addictive if they are used for more than four weeks. They also don't perform well over the course of.
Other antianxiety drugs like quetiapine, buspirone, and clonidine reduce the amount of the stress hormone cortisol within your body by blocking receptors in your brain. The most frequent side result is drowsiness. People can also be afflicted by diarrhea, nausea constipation, nausea and sexual dysfunction while taking antidepressants or SSRIs.
A few other antianxiety medications like phenytoin and mellatonin are sedatives that decrease the activity of specific neurons in the brain, which help reduce anxiety. Antihistamines also help treat anxiety. They reduce the itching caused by allergies and make you feel more comfortable.
Monoamine oxidase inhibiters, such as tetracycline and moclobemide are also used to decrease anxiety. These are usually used after other treatments have failed. Other prescription medications that have been shown to decrease anxiety in clinical trials aren't approved for this purpose, however they may be prescribed off-label by a few doctors.
Psychotherapy
Anxiety disorders are often treated with psychotherapy, or talk therapy with a mental health professional. This can be a psychiatrist, a psychologist or a licensed clinical social worker. The therapist may also offer encouragement and support, in addition to addressing the root causes of anxiety. The presence of the therapist is also important for anxiety sufferers; it activates the parasympathetic nervous system and provides a sense of safety to the patient.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective treatment for anxiety. This method helps you learn to manage anxiety and gradually return to activities you avoided due to anxiety. This includes exposure therapy, in which you gradually encounter the thing or event that triggers anxiety, so that you be able to manage it and overcome your fears.
Psychotherapy can help you gain a better understanding of why you're so worried and how your imagination can create a false sense of danger that is not real. The psychotherapist will also explain to you the anatomy of the body's "fight-or-flight" response and the reasons it could be triggered by things that are usually 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. It may take some time to find the right therapy for you, and you might need to try several before finding someone you feel at ease with.
Self-help methods, such as breathing exercises, relaxation and meditation can be an effective supplement to psychotherapy. You can lessen anxiety by getting enough sleep and exercising regularly, as well as avoid caffeine and nicotine. You can also try incorporating more laughter into your routine since laughter can be a great stress-reducing agent. In the event that you experience an acute anxiety disorder that threatens your safety or the safety of others, see your physician for emergency anxiolytic treatment, preferably with a benzodiazepine. This treatment isn't often needed, but can be very beneficial. The use of medication is not an alternative to psychotherapy however, they can be helpful in certain cases.
Lifestyle changes
Alongside psychotherapy and medications There are a myriad of lifestyle changes that can greatly aid people suffering from anxiety disorders. Regular exercise and a healthy diet, abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine, getting enough sleep, and utilizing relaxation techniques can help.
A regular exercise program is a powerful stress reducer and has been proven to improve mood and self-reported anxiety symptoms. It can be challenging to find a fitness program that is right for you, but even a small amount of exercise can be beneficial.
Regular, moderately-graded exercise has also been found to be effective in treating depression and is associated with an increased the rate of remission for anxiety disorders. While the mechanisms remain unknown, it is believed that exercise alters brain chemistry through controlling 5-HT neurotransmitters in the dorsal Raphe Nucleus and decreasing levels of cortisol.
The practice of acupuncture, massage therapy, and other CAM treatments has been found to be effective in treating anxiety disorders. However, evidence is scarce and is often hampered by poor methodology. While IamPsychiatry show promise however, the majority of these modalities do not provide the clinical evidence needed for doctors to recommend them.
The relationship between anxiety and food is a complex one. In fact, some foods can actually cause anxiety symptoms. The highly palatable, fatty food can stimulate the production in the brain of reactive oxygen species which can worsen or cause anxiety symptoms. It has been shown that dietary improvement, especially cutting down on nicotine and alcohol can help reduce anxiety. However, more research that includes controlled prospective studies and withdrawal programs for substance abuse, are needed.
Other dietary supplements such as omega-3 fish oil have been shown to be of value in helping to reduce anxiety. Researchers believe that omega-3 fatty acid supplements may reduce the production of inflammatory chemicals and increase the effectiveness of antidepressants in reducing anxiety-related symptoms. Other dietary changes can help with anxiety, for example, increasing the quantity and variety of fruits and vegetables as well as incorporating more whole grains and avoiding processed foods.
Herbal and dietary supplements
While herbal remedies and diet supplements have been utilized for centuries in various parts of the world to alleviate anxiety-related symptoms, the effectiveness and security of these natural products is only recently tested in rigorous clinical trials. Ashwagandha, a dietary supplement (Withania somnifera) is a plant from the Ayurvedic tradition of Indian medicine has been proven to be particularly effective in reducing anxiety and stress. The amino acid precursors l-tryptophan, and l -lysine can reduce anxiety symptoms as well through their influence on neurotransmitters that are involved in the stress response.
Many people who suffer from anxiety experience a range of symptoms, from the transient feeling of nervousness or worry that occurs prior to menstrual or surgical procedures to the omnipresent feelings of unease and tension that are characteristic of more serious forms of anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder and social phobias. The symptoms of anxiety can be debilitating and include trembling, headaches, sweating, muscle tightness, and difficulty sleeping.
Talk therapy or psychotherapy is a proven treatment for anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy which teaches patients to identify and respond to the thoughts and behaviors that cause anxiety in a different manner. This approach, in combination with medication, can help to treat anxiety and reduce the symptoms associated with it, such as fatigue and depression.
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish like mackerel, salmon and herring can also help reduce anxiety symptoms. These fatty acid found in fish such as mackerel, salmon, and herring, have been identified to improve the health of the heart and also boost the health of the brain. Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids are flaxseeds, walnuts and chia seeds.
It is important to remember that dietary and herbal products are not regulated by the FDA in the same way as pharmaceutical drugs. This means that there is a possibility that some products could be contaminated or have adverse side effects. Consult your doctor if you're considering using herbal or dietary supplements to treat anxiety. They can offer information on the possible interactions between herbs and other medications that you are taking and dosage guidelines.