What Freud Can Teach Us About Anxiety Disorder Help
Anxiety Disorder Help
If you are experiencing persistent anxiety symptoms, it is possible to seek assistance. Treatment for anxiety disorders typically involves therapy and medication.
Your doctor could prescribe medications to help with anxiety, such as benzodiazepines or modern antidepressants. SSRIs (like Lexapro and Prozac) and SNRIs (like duloxetine and venlafaxine) are common examples. Your therapist will also instruct you on strategies to ease anxiety symptoms, like confronting negative thoughts and exposure therapy.
Medicines
Medication is one option to combat anxiety disorders and reduce the need for psychotherapy. But they're not right for everyone and there are other options available, too. For instance, getting plenty of exercise, making healthy choices in your diet and using relaxation techniques are methods to manage stress that do not require medication. If you're taking medication to control anxiety, be sure to adhere to the prescribed dosages and attend your therapy appointments.
Doctors often prescribe antidepressants to people with anxiety disorders. These drugs can take up to six weeks to begin working. They can correct an imbalance in brain chemical production. SSRIs are also known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the antidepressants used most often to treat anxiety. The medications such as Zoloft (sertraline), Prozac (fluoxetine) and Lexapro (escitalopram) operate by impacting neurotransmitters involved in mood. Other medications, such as SNRIs like Effexor(venlafaxine) or Cymbalta(duloxetine), can also be prescribed for anxiety and depression.
If SSRIs aren't working doctors might prescribe benzodiazepines in order to reduce anxiety symptoms quickly. These are tranquilizers that are able to target gamma-aminobutyric acid also known as GABA, a chemical found in the brain that has an calming effect. Benzodiazepines are typically found in Klonopin, Xanax, and Valium. panic anxiety disorder can have dangerous side effects including addiction and are therefore only recommended for short-term use.
Other medications, such as propranolol (approved for social anxiety disorder) is a medication that blocks the actions of a chemical referred to as monoamine oxidase A. They don't affect the brain in the same way as benzodiazepines do, but they are more effective and don't have the same side effects. Benzodiazepines, SNRIs and SSRIs are typically reserved for patients suffering from severe anxiety. SSRIs however can be used to treat a wide variety of anxiety disorders.
Psychotherapy
Talk therapy, also known as psychotherapy could be a part of a treatment plan for anxiety disorders. A qualified mental health professional will help you select the appropriate kind of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy involves talking with a therapist and developing skills and techniques to manage anxiety.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a kind of psychotherapy that helps you learn to challenge anxious thoughts and behaviors. CBT teaches you to identify and stop harmful patterns of thinking, feeling and behavior. It helps you recognize situations or objects that cause anxiety and learn how to deal with. CBT is a recommended treatment for a variety of anxiety disorders.
EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) is a different type of psychotherapy that could be used in the treatment of anxiety disorders. During this treatment you will lie on a couch, reclining chair, while the therapist guides you through various phases of therapy. This may include following an object with your eye or listening to music and reminiscing about a negative experience from your past. EMDR can help you overcome these negative associations and reduce your anxiety symptoms.
Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is a kind of psychotherapy that is focused on improving your relationships and social functioning. Although it's not a direct treatment for anxiety, IPT can help you to address issues that may be causing your anxiety, for example the underlying depression or addiction to substances.
Exercise
Exercise is a natural way to relieve stress and anxiety. It is also beneficial for physical health and can improve sleep, both of which can be affected by anxiety disorders. It's also a low-cost treatment and may be performed on your own.
The majority of studies have proven that anything from high intensity interval training to tai chi is effective. Finding something that you enjoy is key, as it will increase your chances of participating and building your resilience. Exercise can also be an effective way to get away from the everyday grind and decrease anxiety-related ruminations. This is especially helpful for patients who are struggling to cope with the Distraction Theory. According to this psychological theory, anxious patients tend to avoid social interaction, and instead engage in excessive self talk and worry.
Exercise is not a cure for anxiety, but it can be used alongside other treatments to reduce the severity of symptoms. For example one can pair exposure therapy with exercise to reduce their anxiety about flying or driving. Attention training is another effective technique that helps a person control their brain's 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 a panacea for anxiety however, it can be a very effective treatment. Exercise is likely to play an important role in the treatment of anxiety disorders, in particular because a lot of GPs have "exercise on a prescription" programs that provide patients with the opportunity to participate in a training program that is subsidised by the local gym.
Relaxation techniques
Relaxation techniques reduce stress and anxiety through the body's relaxation reaction that is described as the reduction in heart rate and blood pressure. Meditation, guided imagery, deep breathing and biofeedback-assisted relaxing are the main examples of these methods. Many people find that these methods are most efficient when they practice them regularly.
A health care provider or mental health professional can teach you these techniques and provide you the tools needed to practice these techniques on your own. Your health care provider may encourage you to take part in self-help and group therapy groups, which can be beneficial to meet other people with similar problems. Stress can be decreased by keeping in contact with family and friends and exercising regularly, while avoid drinking or using substances.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy are two forms of psychotherapy that treat anxiety disorders. CBT helps you identify and challenge irrational fears and negative thoughts that fuel anxiety. Then, you are taught to replace them with more realistic and calming thoughts. Exposure therapy is the process of slowly facing situations that trigger anxiety until you can handle them without anxiety. Typically, you begin with the least frightening situations before moving on to more difficult ones.
Other psychological treatments for anxiety include mindfulness, hypnosis and support groups. These treatments are particularly beneficial if you suffer from co-occurring conditions, such as addiction and depression. Other helpful habits can be getting enough sleep and eating healthily. Regular exercise is essential because it helps in the burning of stress-related chemicals that are produced during stressful periods. It is essential to build strong bonds with others, as loneliness and isolation can increase anxiety symptoms.
Healthy eating habits
Anxiety can trigger a variety of physical symptoms and behavior such as abdominal discomfort, muscle tension and panic-like feelings. While it is normal to be worried and anxious at times, extreme anxiety can cause an overwhelming feeling of despair and fear that can hinder your daily activities. If you're suffering from anxiety, you can manage your symptoms by learning strategies for dealing with anxiety and following your doctor's advice.
A nutritious diet, in addition to therapy and medication, can help improve your anxiety symptoms. A diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates can reduce stress and give your body the nutrients it requires to function properly.
Avoid foods that are high in fat or sugar as they can trigger anxiety symptoms. It is also important to drink plenty of water and other non-caffeinated beverages to keep hydrated. Avocados, bananas, and dark chocolate are just some of the foods that can help reduce anxiety. Green leafy vegetables, like swiss-chard or spinach as well as beans, pumpkin seeds, nuts and whole grains, are all good sources of magnesium. Omega-3 fat acid, which can be found in fish like salmon, trout and sardines along with walnuts, can aid in reducing anxiety symptoms.
It is important to seek treatment when you are suffering from anxiety disorders as well as eating disorder. Treatment for both conditions is typically best accomplished by combining psychiatric medications and mental health therapy. Talk therapy can help you understand how to deal with negative emotions and replace them with positive ones. The use of psychiatric medication can reduce anxiety symptoms and prevent their excessive growth.