Why We Enjoy Anxiety Anxiety Disorders (And You Should, Too!)
Treating Anxiety Disorders
Talk to a mental specialist If your anxiety is constant and interferes with your daily activities. Psychologists are experts in psychotherapy and can prescribe medication. Psychologists are medical doctors who specialize in treating mental health issues.
Counseling, medications and other treatments can ease your symptoms and help manage your anxiety. You can also find ways to cope, like learning stress management techniques or joining support groups (in person or online).
Medication
Anxiety disorders can be treated with psychotherapy (talk-therapy), medication, or a combination of both. Talk therapy helps people find better ways to cope with their worries and reduce the symptoms. People can also improve their mood by exercising regularly, getting enough sleep and using techniques to manage stress. The medication can help reduce anxiety levels and make other treatments more effective.
Patients suffering from anxiety disorders are more at risk of developing mental health conditions including 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.
A person's chance of developing an anxiety disorder is increased by specific life experiences and traits that are inherited. Trauma, such as war or a car accident, may trigger an anxiety disorder in a few people. A chronic illness or the caregiving can cause people to worry excessively. Drug abuse, especially alcohol and illicit drugs, can contribute to the development of an anxiety disorder.
The first treatment choice for the majority of anxiety disorders is an antidepressant. Modern antidepressants, referred to as SNRIs and SSRIs such as escitalopram (Lexapro) and duloxetine (Cymbalta), have been proven to be efficient in a variety of clinical studies. Diazepam, also known as Valium, is also used to relieve anxiety quickly. They aren't usually prescribed for longer than 4 weeks as they can become addicting and stop working as well.
Other kinds of medications 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, such as levothyroxine (Levothyrix) can assist in reducing the shaking. Buspirone (BuSpar) in small doses can be helpful for people suffering from physical symptoms of anxiety such as a rapid pulse or sweating.
Certain sedatives like clonazepam (Klonopin) are only able to be obtained through prescription. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors such as moclobemide (Anxair) are used for people suffering from extreme anxiety.
Psychotherapy
While it's normal for children to experience some anxiety or fear at times, their emotions shouldn't affect their everyday lives or cause them to withdraw from school, friends and family. Anxiety disorders can lead to severe depression, or other mental health issues that may hinder a person's overall health. Patients suffering from these disorders typically require psychotherapy (counseling) and medication to treat their symptoms.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most common psychotherapy for anxiety disorders. It helps you change habits of thought and beliefs that cause your anxiety. Your therapist will teach you relaxation techniques and assist you to discover ways to manage negative feelings. They'll also use exposure therapy to gradually expose you to situations that trigger anxiety. This is done through systematic desensitization, which involves identifying triggers and then grading them according to their intensity.
Your therapist will teach you how to confront irrational beliefs and preconceptions. They will assist you in testing your beliefs with experiments, weighing up the pros and cons, and determining the likelihood that something bad might happen.
Psychiatrists may prescribe shorter-term or long-term treatments to treat anxiety disorders. Antidepressants, like buspirone and SSRIs can aid in the treatment of various forms of anxiety by altering chemicals in the brain that regulate mood. Benzodiazepines such as diazepam and lorazepam are useful in promoting relaxation of the muscles and relaxing the brain. SNRIs like venlafaxine may aid in reducing anxiety since they boost serotonin levels and norepinephrine levels in the brain.
Psychiatrists can monitor your symptoms, address any questions, and make changes to your treatment plan when required. It may take some time to heal from your disorder depending on its severity. You may have to try several therapists and a variety of treatments before you can find one that is effective for you. For anxiety anxiety disorders , you must adhere to your treatment plan. The longer you wait to seek help, the more severe your symptoms may become.
Interpersonal therapy
Interpersonal therapy is a short-term kind of psychotherapy that focuses on resolving interpersonal issues. It usually requires 12-16 sessions to complete. It is supported by research and can help improve depression and anxiety symptoms. In addition it has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of depression that is comorbid and PTSD. It can also be used to tackle problems with occupational and social interactions for people with PTSD.
The first sessions (1-3) concentrate on gathering information and identifying trouble areas. The therapist may assist you in creating a list of your most important relationships. The therapist will help you to prioritize these issues in accordance with your needs and possibility of improvement. In the middle of sessions (4-14) you and your counselor will work together to discover solutions to these areas of concern. You will then apply these new strategies to your everyday life in between sessions.
One of the most significant features of IPT is that it frames the patient's presenting issues as a medical condition rather than an individual flaw or failure. This can help relieve the patients feeling of self-reflection and guilt. It also helps patients realize that their symptoms result from the combination of their current circumstances and their medical condition.
Choose a therapist that is licensed and specializes in the condition you're dealing with. Also, look up the background of the therapist and their training. You can also ask for recommendations from other doctors. Make sure you and your therapist are on the same page regarding the goals of the sessions prior to beginning therapy. For instance, you might you'd like to focus on improving relationship skills or overcome fears of intimacy.
Self-help
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful events, but it turns into an illness when it becomes so intense that it causes problems with your daily routine. People with anxiety disorders usually require medication and psychotherapy to heal. Self-help techniques are a great method to lessen the symptoms of anxiety and help you cope with them. Breathing exercises and relaxation for instance, can lower your heartbeat and help you relax. Try to do these exercises several times a week, and pay attention to how your body feels as you breathe in and out. Recognizing negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones can help to reduce anxiety.
Changing your diet and getting regular exercise can help you feel better. You could be able cut back on alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine which can cause or worsen your anxiety. Regular exercise releases tension and encourages your brain to produce serotonin which is a mood-enhancing chemical. Make sure you do at minimum 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week.
Self-help resources for anxiety include self-help books and online resources. Some of these resources offer several activities that can be done at home, like identifying the triggers for anxiety and learning to confront your thoughts of anxiety. Some of these resources also provide face-to-face sessions to therapists or others who have the same problem.
Psychological interventions are essential treatments for anxiety disorders. they include cognitive behavioural therapy which assists you in changing the patterns of thinking that lead to anxiety exposure therapy, which is where you gradually confront the events 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 paired with medications.
Certain people may require a consultation with a physician in order to rule out medical conditions which could be the cause of anxiety. Then they can begin treatment. Anxiety disorders can be crippling and can cause problems with work, school and social life. They can also cause depression, which has a high risk of suicide. If you don't seek treatment for their symptoms are at greater risk of developing them into a more serious mental health problem.