Treating Anxiety
Treating anxiety typically involves psychological counseling, which can include psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps people identify the destructive thoughts that lead to anxiety and troubling feelings.
The use of medication can help reduce physical symptoms of anxiety, such as shaking and rapid heartbeat. It is essential to communicate with your doctor to determine the most effective dosage and medication.
Medicines
Anxiety is a natural reaction to stress. It can hinder us from sleeping, but there are solutions that can aid. The use of medication can help reduce the symptoms of anxiety and allow you to live your life, while addressing the root causes. A combination of medications and therapy may have an even greater impact on your mood and enhance your quality of life.
Antidepressants treat the root cause of anxiety by boosting levels of chemicals in your brain that create a sense of calm. The most common type of antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which prevent neurons in the brain from reabsorbing serotonin and boost the amount available, making it easier to feel more relaxed. These include drugs like Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil, and Zoloft. Antidepressants, such as serotonin-norepinephrine inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants, as well as others are also available to combat anxiety.
Benzodiazepines, such as Xanax, Klonopin, and Valium work quickly to relieve anxiety symptoms. They accomplish this by acting on brain receptors that cause a calming affect. They are effective in managing anxiety, but they can become addictive if used for longer than four weeks. They are not as effective over time, which is why they are usually not prescribed for long-term use.
Other antianxiety medicines like quetiapine, buspirone, and clonidine reduce the amount of the stress hormone cortisol within your body by blocking receptors in your brain. The most common side effect is the feeling of drowsiness. Antidepressants and SSRIs can cause nausea, diarrhea, constipation and sexual dysfunction in certain people.
Other antianxiety medicines like phenytoin and melatonin are sedatives that decrease the activity of specific neurons in the brain, which can help reduce anxiety. Antihistamines are also used to treat anxiety, decreasing the itchiness caused by allergies and making you feel more relaxed.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors like tetracycline and moclobemide, are also employed to lower anxiety. These are typically pursued after other treatments have failed. Other prescription medications that have been found to reduce anxiety in clinical trials aren't specifically approved for this purpose, however they can be prescribed off-label by certain doctors.
Psychotherapy
Talk therapy or psychotherapy with mental health professionals can help relieve anxiety disorders. This could be a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or a licensed clinical social worker. Therapists can also offer encouragement and support, in addition to addressing the underlying causes of anxiety. The presence of the therapist's physical presence is essential for patients suffering from anxiety. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which provides them with a sense of security.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective treatment for anxiety. This method helps you learn to manage anxiety and gradually return to the activities you avoided due to anxiety. This includes exposure therapy, in which you gradually encounter the object or situation that triggers anxiety, in order to be able to manage it and overcome your fears.
Psychotherapy helps you understand the reasons you are anxious and how your imagination may overestimate dangers that don't exist. The therapist also educates you about the physiology of the body's natural "flight-or-fight" response and why it is inappropriately triggered by things that are generally harmless.
The therapy is usually conducted in a series of sessions that last one hour each. Patients are usually given assignments to complete in between sessions. Finding the right therapist for you can be a challenge. It is possible to try a few before you find someone who you feel comfortable with.
Self-help techniques can be helpful as an adjunct to psychotherapy, such as meditation, relaxation exercises and breathing techniques. You can lessen anxiety-related symptoms by getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and avoiding smoking and caffeine. Humor is an excellent stress relieving factor. Try to include more laughter into your daily life. Finally, if you have an extreme anxiety attack that is threatening your safety or the safety of others, see your doctor for emergency anxiolytic treatment, preferably with a benzodiazepine. This type of treatment isn't always required, but it could be very beneficial. The use of medication does not replace psychotherapy but can be helpful in certain situations.
Lifestyle changes
There are many lifestyle changes that, in addition to psychotherapy and medication, can aid those suffering from anxiety disorders. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco, alcohol and caffeine, getting adequate sleep, and using relaxation techniques can be helpful.
Regular exercise is a powerful stress reducer and has been proven to improve mood and self-reported anxiety symptoms. Developing an exercise regimen that is safe for every person is a challenge, but even small amounts 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 remission rate of anxiety disorders. Although the mechanism is unclear, it's believed that exercise alters brain chemistry through controlling 5-HT neurotransmitters in the dorsal Raphe Nucleus and decreasing levels of cortisol.
It has been proven that acupuncture, massage and other CAM therapies can be beneficial in treating anxiety disorders. However, evidence is scarce and often hampered by poor research methodology. While some studies have shown promise, the majority of these treatments lack the clinical proof required for doctors to recommend them.
The relationship between anxiety and food is complex. In reality, certain foods can cause anxiety symptoms to worsen. For example the highly palatable and fat-rich foods increase the production of reactive oxygen species in the brain that cause or worsen anxiety symptoms. It has been shown that dietary improvement, especially cutting down on nicotine and alcohol can decrease anxiety. However, more research including controlled prospective studies and withdrawal programs for substance abuse, are needed.
It has been proven that other supplements in the diet like omega-3 fish oils can reduce anxiety. Researchers believe that omega-3 fatty acids supplements can reduce the production of inflammatory molecules and enhance the effectiveness of antidepressants in reducing anxiety-related symptoms. Other dietary changes can reduce anxiety, for example, increasing the amount and variety of vegetables and fruits and incorporating more whole grains and avoiding processed food items.
Herbal and dietary supplements
Clinical trials have only recently been conducted to determine the safety and effectiveness of natural products that have been used in some regions of the world for centuries to relieve anxiety symptoms. The dietary supplement ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an herb that comes from the Ayurvedic tradition of Indian medicine has been proven to be particularly effective in controlling 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, ranging from a intermittent feeling of anxiety or worry that occurs prior to surgery or menstruation to the pervasive tension and unease that are more severe forms of anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder panic disorder and social phobias. Symptoms of anxiety can also be debilitating and include trembling, headaches, sweating, muscle tightness and difficulty sleeping.
Psychotherapy or talk therapy is a proven treatment for anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a kind of psychotherapy that teaches patients to recognize and react to thoughts and behavior contributing to anxiety in a different manner. This approach, in combination with medication, can assist treat anxiety as well as reduce associated symptoms like fatigue and depression.
anxiety counseling that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids may aid in reducing anxiety symptoms. These fatty acid that are found in fish such as salmon, mackerel, and herring, have been recognized to improve heart health as well as improve the brain. Flaxseeds can also be a great source of omega-3 fats.
It is important to keep in mind that dietary and herbal supplements are not monitored by the FDA in the same way as pharmaceutical drugs are, and therefore there is a chance certain products could be contaminated with other substances or cause side effects that could be dangerous. Consult your doctor if you're considering using dietary or herbal supplements for anxiety. They can provide you with suggestions on possible interactions between herbal supplements and other medications you are taking, as well as dosage recommendations.