What Are The Myths And Facts Behind Treatment For Anxiety Attacks
Treatment For Anxiety Attacks
A doctor may run tests to determine if there are underlying medical conditions that can trigger anxiety attacks. They can also assist you to develop strategies to manage your anxiety.
Treatments for anxiety like cognitive behavioral therapy as well as other forms of psychotherapy are efficient. However, they may take a while to get results. Benzodiazepines can be utilized as an in-between treatment to treat severe anxiety.
Medications
When psychotherapy alone isn't enough, medication may be prescribed to patients suffering from anxiety disorders. The drugs address the underlying imbalance of chemicals that causes the symptoms of anxiety attacks and may help in managing anxiety attacks. Anxiety medications include antidepressants benzodiazepines and sedatives. Talk with your doctor about the most effective medication for you.
Your healthcare provider will consider your symptoms and your family history when deciding on the best anxiety treatment for you. They will also look at your other health conditions and medications you are taking. They may suggest cognitive behavioral therapy or the combination of psychotherapy and medications. Other treatments that are employed to reduce anxiety include biofeedback, exposure therapy and strategies for managing stress.
SSRIs are the most common antidepressants that are used to treat anxiety. These medications ease symptoms by resolving an imbalance of the brain's neurotransmitters that regulate mood. These include fluoxetine, citalopram and sertraline. Tricyclic antidepressants work in the same way as SSRIs but with less negative side effects. Tricyclic antidepressants should begin at a small dose and gradually increasing as time passes. They can interact with specific medications, such as birth control pills, acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
Benzodiazepines can be prescribed for severe anxiety attacks. These drugs target GABA (gamma-aminobutryic) in the brain, causing a calming affect. They are typically prescribed to treat generalized anxiety disorder, and anxiety disorders. Because they are addictive, benzodiazepines should only be used for a short period of time. They also lose their effectiveness if taken for more than 4 weeks at one time.
Alprazolam and clonazepam are also medications that can be prescribed when benzodiazepines cannot be used. These drugs can be beneficial in treating panic attacks, but they aren't as effective as SSRIs or tricyclic antidepressants. They are also addicting and can disrupt your sleep cycle.
It is important to communicate with your doctor about your symptoms and the way your medication works for you. Request regular follow-up visits and inform them of how you are managing your symptoms. You can also utilize telehealth services such as Doctor On Demand which is covered by specific Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota policies. These online services let you consult with a psychiatrist or psychologist using your smartphone or PC.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is the preferred treatment for anxiety disorders, which includes panic attacks. It is a proven and effective treatment that targets both the thoughts and actions that cause anxiety. The therapist will assist you to recognize negative thinking patterns and replace them with more positive ones. In addition, the therapist will help you to alter your behavior by teaching you new techniques to cope with the symptoms of anxiety. These techniques include breathing exercise as well as progressive muscle relaxation and exposure therapy. The therapist can also provide you with homework tasks to complete between sessions, like tracking your anxiety or engaging in an activity you've been avoiding because of it (like talking to a stranger at a social gathering).
People suffering from panic disorder often suffer from avoidance behavior, which is based on the fear that they'll have another panic attack. Avoiding situations that can create anxiety, such as crowds in malls, elevators or highway driving is a method to avoid this. Avoidance behaviors can have a a significant impact on your life quality. This kind of anxiety can lead to problems like difficulty concentrating at the workplace, depression, or even addiction to drugs.
The cause of panic disorders is believed to be a result of a combination between environmental factors and genetics. Life events that stress us, such as moving to a new house or the loss of a loved one are common triggers for these conditions. Some genes may also increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders.
IamPsychiatry aims to teach you how to overcome your fears and improve the quality of your life. Unlike medication that only treat symptoms of anxiety, cognitive behavioral therapy targets the root causes of anxiety and assists you in developing strategies for coping that can be helpful in the future.
Although this kind of therapy is effective for many anxiety disorders but it can be challenging at first. You may need to attend therapy sessions for a few weeks before feeling better. There may be some setbacks, like the severity of your symptoms getting worse but this is not unusual. The key is to remain to your plan and remember that your efforts will pay off.
Exposure therapy
There are a variety of treatment options for anxiety attacks, such as psychotherapy and medication. Psychotherapy, also referred to as talk therapy, helps a person identify unhealthy thoughts and emotions that can cause anxiety attacks or cause them to worsen. This kind of treatment consists of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a technique that helps people modify negative patterns and develop more effective coping skills. It teaches people to overcome their fear in certain situations. It is important to adhere to a treatment program. Regularly attending weekly therapy sessions could help a person feel much better within 10 to 20 weeks.
Exposure therapy is a method in CBT that requires you to repeatedly confront your fears that trigger. The therapist will develop a plan to expose you to your fears in a secure and controlled environment. In the real world (real life) exposure is used where you face your fears in the real world, or in virtual reality, where you face your fear in a virtual setting. In vivo exposure is most effective for certain phobias. The Therapist will gradually expose your fear to you until it is less significant.
This therapy can be intense. This may involve flooding in which you are exposed for a long time to a situation that causes anxiety. It can also include psychoeducation, cognitive processing and behavioral therapy. It's utilized in all of the major anxiety disorders, such as obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. It's also effective in treating social anxiety.
It is important to locate a doctor who has experience with exposure therapy. It is important to choose a specialist who is a member of an organization or network that deals with anxiety disorders. It's also a good idea to look up reviews. You may also request a referral from your doctor to an expert. You can join a support group that is specifically designed for those suffering from anxiety. You can lessen anxiety by staying physically active and utilizing relaxation techniques. Avoid alcohol, recreational drug and smoking, which could all cause anxiety or make it worse. Overworking yourself can increase anxiety.
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines, also known as benzos, are potent drugs that treat anxiety efficiently. They can be addictive, and have serious side effects when used regularly or for a long period of time. They are therefore only prescribed to ease severe anxiety or insomnia for a short period of time.
They work by reducing the nervous system, which causes sedation and relaxing muscles. They can be consumed orally in the form of tablets, liquids or sprays, and can be injected into veins. Benzos are used for treating generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and insomnia. They are especially beneficial for those who suffer from panic attacks as they provide immediate and effective symptomatic relief. They can be prescribed on their own or as an addition to other treatments, such as CBT for anxiety.
There are a myriad of types of benzodiazepines that differ in their potency, duration of action and the speed at which the body absorbs the drugs. There is an association between the amount of time a benzo used for and its potential to be misused, so shorter-acting benzodiazepines (such as alprazolam) are often preferred.
Benzodiazepines can trigger harmful side effects when combined in conjunction with other drugs, like sedatives and opioid painkillers. These interactions can also increase the effects of drugs and lead to the death or overdose. Benzodiazepines also interact with certain food items and herbal products. It is crucial to inform your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking benzos or planning to take other medicines.
When a person takes benzodiazepines over a long period of time the brain becomes dependent on them to function normally. This is known as physical dependence and can trigger several symptoms like withdrawal, tolerance and craving. This type of dependence is different from addiction, which is an uncontrollable and compulsive need to use the drug.
Benzodiazepines are very efficient and have no negative effects when employed in the right way. However, they should only be offered as a treatment option in cases where other methods have not proved successful or aren't feasible. Non-drug approaches to anxiety management include meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy.