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https://www.iampsychiatry.com/anxiety-treatment

Medications and Complementary Therapies to Treat Anxiety Everyone fears and worries at times but people who suffer from anxiety have a difficult to control their reactions Psychotherapy and medication like beta blockers which are used to lower blood pressure as well as benzodiazepines may help Selfhelp strategies may also help ease symptoms For instance exercise can help reduce stress and relax the body Medication If lifestyle changes or psychotherapy arent helping your anxiety medication may be a viable option Anxiety medication reduces fears and triggers the fight or flight response within the body Antidepressants are the most commonly used drugs used to treat anxiety They function by enhancing levels of certain neurotransmitters that affect mood anxiety attack treatment like citalopram citalopram escitalopram escitalopram and sertraline prozac and citalopram escitalopram are usually the first medications prescribed SNRIs such as duloxetine venlafaxine and tricyclic antidepressants like Tofranil imipramine Elavil or Pamelor are also effective in treating anxiety Benzodiazepines are also sometimes used to treat anxiety Theyre fastacting and very helpful in the short term but they are addictive and should only be employed when other treatments fail to work Benzodiazepines are used to treat insomnia and anxiety There are many different medications that can be used to treat anxiety however only licensed health professionals can prescribe them These providers can include psychologists psychiatrists primary care physicians and some OBGYNs They must also receive special training to prescribe medications Exercise and complementary therapies are used by some people to lessen anxiety They can also find relaxation methods to reduce stress such as mindfulness meditation and deep breathing Biofeedback can be another beneficial technique in which a therapist monitors your brainwave patterns on an electroencephalograph and teaches you how to control them at will Lastly natural supplements such as melatonin and 5HTP can also help ease anxiety But it is essential to consult your doctor before taking any supplement to treat anxiety or for any other reason Utilizing supplements in conjunction with a complete treatment plan that incorporates psychotherapy and lifestyle changes can enhance the effectiveness of your treatment Cognitive behavioral therapy CBT Cognitive behavioral therapy CBT is among the most studied and empirically supported psychotherapeutic approaches for treating anxiety disorders It focuses on the maladaptive thoughts or behavior patterns that create anxiety Although a variety of individual CBT protocols have been developed for various anxiety disorders they all share certain common treatment goals and techniques The first step in CBT is to recognize dysfunctional thought patterns that contribute to anxiety During sessions patients learn to recognize negative beliefs and challenge them The therapist may also assist patients identify and alter avoidance behavior The therapist may ask patients to keep thought journals or diaries outside of sessions and to apply the behavioural strategies they have learned in everyday life The ultimate goal is to teach patients how to be their own therapists by helping them to understand their current patterns of thinking and behavior This will help them remove unfounded fears lessen their anxiety as well as other negative emotions and build a stronger resilience CBT methods focus on the identification and correction of distortions in the patients thoughts that lead to overgeneralization and catastrophizing The therapist will also help the patient develop coping strategies to deal with anxietyinducing situations These techniques can be applied to all kinds of anxiety disorders Often they are incorporated into a comprehensive approach to mental health called cognitivebehavioral therapy The exposure therapy is a different aspect of CBT Exposure therapy involves exposing the patients anxietyinducing object or situation This may be done through creating a mental picture of the object or the situation or by directly confronting it in real life A person suffering from PTSD who is afraid of a specific location might be encouraged by their doctor to visit the place where they were assaulted A person suffering from social anxiety disorder who is afraid of speaking in public could be encouraged to deliver an address in front of the group Some studies have proven that the combination of CBT and pharmacotherapy improve outcomes However these results arent conclusive and more research is needed In general combining medications and CBT is more effective than any one alone Combinations of CBT and benzodiazepines have been proven to be particularly effective in people with generalized anxiety or panic disorder Exposure therapy Exposure therapy is among the most effective methods for treating anxiety It can help you confront the things you are scared of in a comfortable setting with a therapist It may seem difficult but the process can help you recognize that your fears arent justified and that you can accept your triggers It can also increase your confidence to face the challenges of life There are a variety of forms of exposure therapy including virtual reality imaginal therapy and systematic desensitization For instance if youre nervous about speaking in public Your therapist may encourage you to imagine yourself speaking or to practice with an acquaintance Then youll be able to gradually confront the situation in real life with your therapy therapists help In each session your therapist will be able to see if youre feeling anxious or scared and adjust the intensity according to the need During an appointment your therapist will show you how to relax and cope with your emotions before introducing you to the triggers that create anxiety This could include mindfulness breathing rhythms and guided imagery They can also teach you ways to avoid engaging in behaviors that cause anxiety such as avoidance of elevators Exposure therapy is usually carried out in a series of weekly sessions and some individuals require more than two or three sessions to overcome their fear The first step is to determine what triggers your anxiety For example flying on a plane or being around strangers Your therapist will help you choose the best exposure therapy method that fits your preferences and personality This could mean using an orderly system to determine the order in which exposures are performed or practicing relaxation techniques prior to starting In vivo therapy is the process of confronting the thing or situation you are afraid of This might be as simple as walking across an overpass or touching your arm This method can be employed to treat posttraumatic stress disorder and specific phobias It can be challenging to squeeze in sessions for vivo exposure therapy Therefore it is crucial to find a therapist that specializes in this form of cognitive therapy You can locate an experienced specialist by searching your local psychological association or the mental health network Its also a good idea to review reviews and ask your family members or friends for suggestions Complementary therapies Complementary therapies cover a wide variety of treatments for health that are not considered to be part of Western medicine They can help reduce anxiety by teaching relaxation techniques and promoting healthy lifestyle habits These treatments include acupuncture herbal medicines meditation Yoga music therapy massage and yoga They can also reduce depression symptoms by lowering the levels of stress hormones in your body A recent study has found that mindfulnessbased meditation programs were associated with slight improvements in anxietyrelated symptoms This approach employs various types of meditation to promote mindfulness which is the ability to concentrate on the present moment and let go of negative thoughts and emotions This type of meditation can be done by anyone and it doesnt require special equipment or any special training People who have physical limitations may not be able participate in meditative practice that involves moving Other treatments that can help ease anxiety include breathing exercise progressive muscle relaxation PMR biofeedback selfhypnosis and the use of hypnosis These techniques can help you manage your anxiety through focus on relaxing muscles breathing calming breath and visual imagery They can be practiced at home or in a therapeutic setting These techniques are often used in combination with other forms of therapy like exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy Another method to reduce anxiety is to exercise regularly and eat a balanced healthy diet Regular exercise can reduce your blood pressure heart rate and cortisol levels which is the hormone that triggers anxiety A healthy diet can help you feel more energized and in turn decrease your feelings of anxiety Cognitive behavior therapy is among the most effective anxiety treatments It teaches you to recognize and challenge negative thoughts that cause anxiety Your therapist will show you how to assess your the potential for anxiety and assess their likelihood of occurrence You can apply strategies such as comparing your fears with past experiences weighing the pros and cons of an event and determining whether its reasonable to be worried about a possibility that might occur Acupuncture is an old Chinese technique that is used to alleviate anxiety It is based on a study of the deficiencies and excesses in your energy also known as qi located in specific meridians A deficiency of the kidney or spleen meridian can trigger anxiety Acupuncture can improve anxiety symptoms when it is combined with psychotherapy and other CAM approaches