Treating Anxiety
The treatment of anxiety (new content from Blogbright) usually involves psychological counseling, which includes psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps people identify the negative thoughts patterns that can cause anxiety and a variety of other feelings.
Medication can help control anxiety-related physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat or shaking. Patients must consult with their health care provider to determine the best dosage and medication for their needs.
Medicines
Anxiety is the natural reaction to stress. It can prevent us from sleeping, but there are treatments to aid. Treatment can ease anxiety-related symptoms and make it easier to live your life while addressing the root of the problem. Combining medication and therapy can have a bigger impact on mood and the quality of life.
Antidepressants can treat the root cause of anxiety by boosting levels of chemicals in your brain that create a sense of calm. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most frequently used antidepressants. They stop nerve cells from reabsorbing serotonin in the brain, and increase its availability. This helps you feel calmer. SSRIs include such drugs as 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 are effective in relieving anxiety symptoms. They do this by acting on brain receptors, which cause a calming affect. They are effective in treating anxiety, however, they can become addictive if used for longer than four weeks. They also don’t perform well over the course of.
Other antianxiety drugs such as quetiapine, buspirone and clonidine reduce the amount of stress hormone in your body. They do this by blocking receptors inside the brain. The most common side effects are drowsiness as well as dry mouth. Antidepressants and SSRIs can also lead to nausea, diarrhea, constipation and sexual dysfunction in some individuals.
Other antianxiety drugs such as melatonin or phenytoin act as sedatives by decreasing the activity of specific brain cells, which decreases anxiety. Antihistamines are also used to treat anxiety, by reducing the itching caused by allergies and causing you to feel more relaxed.
Other types of medications that can be used to lower anxiety are monoamine oxidase inhibitors, such as moclobemide and tetracycline. These are typically pursued after other treatments have failed. Some doctors are able to prescribe prescription medications off-label that have been proven to reduce anxiety in clinical studies, but aren’t licensed.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy or talk therapy with mental health professionals can help ease anxiety disorders. This could be a psychiatrist, psychologist, or a licensed clinical social worker. In addition to assisting with the root cause of the anxiety, the therapist can provide support and encouragement. 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 safety.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is typically the best option to treat anxiety. This approach teaches you how to manage anxiety and gradually return to activities that you stayed away from due to anxiety. This includes exposure therapy in which you gradually encounter the event or object that causes anxiety, and then overcome your anxiety.
Psychotherapy helps you understand why you feel anxious, and how your imagination may overestimate dangers that don’t exist. The therapist will also teach you on the anatomy of the body’s natural “flight-or-fight” response and why it’s not appropriate to trigger it by things that are typically harmless.
Therapy is typically conducted in sessions that last approximately an hour each and patients are often given assignments to complete between sessions. It can take a while to find the right therapist for you, and you might need to try several before you find one you are comfortable with.
Self-help techniques, like breathing exercises, relaxation exercises and meditation can be a useful addition to psychotherapy. You can lessen anxiety-related symptoms by getting enough rest and exercising regularly. You can also avoid nicotine and caffeine. Humor is an excellent stress relieving factor. Try to include more laughter into your life. If you’re experiencing an acute anxiety attack that is threatening your safety or the safety of others’ safety, talk to your physician for an urgent anxiety medication, which is usually an benzodiazepine. This type of treatment is not often needed, but it is extremely efficient. They are not an alternative to psychotherapy, however they can help in certain situations.
Lifestyle changes
Alongside psychotherapy and medications in addition, there are a variety of lifestyle changes that can greatly aid people suffering from anxiety disorders. Regular exercise and a healthy diet, avoidance of alcohol, tobacco and caffeine, getting enough sleep, and utilizing relaxation techniques can help.
Regular exercise can be a powerful stress-reducing tool and has been proven to improve mood and self-reported anxiety symptoms. It can be challenging to find an exercise program that is appropriate for you, but even small amounts can be beneficial.
Regular, moderate graded exercise has also been proven to be effective in treating anxiety without medication depression and has been associated with a higher the rate of remission for anxiety disorders. Although the mechanisms behind this are unclear, it what is the best anxiety treatment believed that exercise alters brain chemistry by modulating 5-HT neurotransmitters that are found in the dorsal raphe nucleus, and decreasing the circulating levels of cortisol stress hormone.
It has been established that acupuncture, massage and other CAM therapies can be beneficial in treating anxiety disorders. The evidence isn’t conclusive, and poor methodology is often to blame. While some studies have shown promise however, the majority of these treatments lack the clinical proof required for doctors to recommend them.
The relationship between anxiety and food is not straightforward. In reality, certain foods can cause anxiety symptoms to worsen. Foods that are highly palatable and fatty can stimulate the production in the brain of reactive oxygen species that can aggravate or trigger anxiety-related symptoms. Dietary improvement, specifically the reduction of nicotine, alcohol and caffeine, has been proven to help reduce anxiety, although further research is required, including programs to help with withdrawal from substances and controlled prospective studies.
Other dietary supplements such as omega-3 fish oil have been proven to be beneficial in decreasing 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 changes in diet can help with anxiety, such as increasing the quantity and variety of fruits and vegetables, adding more whole grains and avoiding all processed foods.
herbal treatment for anxiety and nutritional supplements
While herbal remedies and diet supplements have been used for centuries in some parts of the world to relieve anxiety symptoms, the efficacy and safety of these natural ways to treat depression and anxiety remedies is only recently subjected to rigorous clinical trials. Ashwagandha, a dietary supplement (Withania somnifera), an herb from the Ayurvedic tradition of Indian medicine is found to be particularly effective in managing anxiety and stress. Amino acid precursors l-tryptophan and L-lysine can also help reduce anxiety symptoms through influencing neurotransmitters that are involved in the stress response.
Many people suffering from anxiety experience a wide range symptoms. These symptoms may range from a brief feeling such as nervousness or anxiety prior to surgery or menstruation, to the more persistent feeling of anxiety and unease which are a sign of more serious anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) as well as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and panic 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 successful treatment for anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT is a type of psychotherapy that teaches people how to recognize and respond differently to thoughts and behaviors that cause anxiety. When combined with medication, this approach can reduce anxiety and relieve symptoms such as depression and fatigue.
A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can aid in reducing anxiety symptoms. These fatty acid, which can be found in fish such as mackerel, salmon, and herring, have been identified to improve the health of the heart as well as improve the brain. Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids include flaxseeds, walnuts, and chia seeds.
It is important to keep in mind that herbal and dietary products are not regulated by the FDA in the same way as pharmaceutical drugs. This means that there is the possibility that certain products may be contaminated or have negative side effects. If you are considering using dietary supplements or herbs to control anxiety, consult your doctor before beginning any regimen. They can advise you about possible interactions with other medications you may be taking and offer suggestions for dosages.