Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety can ruin an individual's life by making people feel depressed and exhausted. Stress can hinder people from interacting, reinforcing a misguided belief that they are in danger, and creating a sense of loneliness.
Exercise, medication, and psychotherapy are all part of the treatment for anxiety. Treatments include antidepressants, such as SSRIs, citalopram and Escitalopram (citalopram and escitalopram) and benzodiazepines such as lorazepam or diazepam.
Medicines
People are generally anxious from time to time however, when the feeling persists for a long time or interferes with day-to-day life it could be the sign of an anxiety disorder. Treatment for anxiety disorders typically involves psychotherapy and medication. While medications can alleviate the symptoms, they do not cure anxiety disorders. They should be used in conjunction alongside psychotherapy and lifestyle adjustments.
The medications that are typically prescribed for anxiety include antidepressants as well as benzodiazepines. Antidepressants address a chemical imbalance in the brain which causes anxiety. Benzodiazepines such as Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam) and Valium (diazepam) are sedatives that quickly stop the body's reaction to anxiety. They can also be addictive and shouldn't be used for a long time.
SSRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) assist in reducing levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, within the body. They also block the brain's receptors that absorb serotonin and allow more of the mood-enhancing chemical. This reduces anxiety. Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, or SNRIs, have similar effects to SSRIs and can also be effective in treating anxiety. Pros: SSRIs are readily available and effective for the majority of people, and have a favorable safety profile. Cons Some patients experience side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, and dry mouth.
Other psychiatric medications, such as propranolol, can also be helpful for anxiety-related symptoms. These drugs are commonly used to treat high blood pressure and heart problems, but doctors sometimes prescribe them "off-label" for anxiety. They act to blunt the effects of stress hormones within the body, including adrenaline and noradrenaline, that raise your blood pressure and heart rate. They can also trigger negative side effects, such as orthostatic hypotension (drop in blood pressure when standing up), bradycardia (slower than normal heart rate) and sedation.
You can reduce anxiety by changing your diet and getting enough exercise. Meditation and yoga can also help ease anxiety. Additionally there are treatments for the mind and body that can be beneficial for anxiety, including Tai chi and acupuncture. Speak to your doctor about the options that could be most suitable for you.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy, which is a psychotherapy founded on scientific research, is effective for treating anxiety disorders. It is based on the idea that emotions, thoughts physical sensations, and thoughts have a common connection, and that negative patterns can cause you to be caught in a vicious circle. CBT helps you identify negative patterns of thought and apply strategies to control them. It also teaches you to control your responses to situations that trigger anxiety and develop coping strategies.
In the first session a therapist usually performs an assessment. This may involve completing questionnaires, interviewing you or providing written materials. This will allow them to understand your specific disorder and pinpoint distressing symptoms. It will also determine whether your current treatments are effective. The assessment can also help determine if you can have a therapeutic relationship.
CBT typically lasts for 20 sessions or less. In these sessions, you will see your therapist at least every week or every two weeks. Your therapist will teach you various self-help strategies, such as how to reframe unhelpful thoughts and practice positive outcome visualization. They will also help you develop coping strategies including how to relax your body and relax your mind.
Your therapist may also offer tools, like therapy worksheets, which will help you track symptoms and triggers. They can help you conquer anxiety in smaller, manageable steps to make it less as daunting. If you are scared of social situations, your therapist might invite you to play with them, and then move on to talking to family or friends.
Another aspect of CBT are behavioural experiments. It can help you question your irrational catastrophic predictions by providing evidence against them. For instance, if you think that something awful will happen if you leave the house, you might do a behavioural experiment by predicting a scenario prior to going out, like "If I go out for dinner, I'll be sick with food poisoning." You can then record whether your prediction was true or not.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is a different treatment for anxiety that is not a medication. Hypnosis is used to help people relax, alter their perception of their symptoms, and modify their behavior. It can be used to overcome phobias. It is frequently used to ease stress and anxiety, but it can also be helpful in reducing pain. The effects of hypnosis can be long lasting and the benefits can be observed after just one session.
In a hypnosis session (or when listening to recordings), the therapist will guide you into a state of trance which is similar to being in a daydream. In this state of relaxation, you are able to hear the suggestions of your therapist and respond. They may ask you to imagine a safe and comfortable place and after that they will tell you to pay attention to sensory details that gradually become more real. This is known as a "deepening trance". Here is where you will begin to notice a difference in the symptoms.
Many people notice a shift immediately. After hypnotherapy sessions it is possible to feel the shift as soon as they leave the room or close their eyes. This is normal, and it can also feel mystical. For some, however, it may take several sessions before they notice any positive changes. This is normal and it's crucial to give the therapy time to work.
You should always consult your physician prior to undergoing hypnotherapy. They can answer any questions you may have regarding hypnotherapy and help you decide on your options. You will need to book a private session for hypnotherapy if you are interested in using the hypnotic method. The sessions can be costly however they are usually more cost efficient than other forms of treatment for anxiety.
Hypnosis is often used to treat PTSD. This condition is caused by trauma like a car crash, natural disaster or war, and can cause anxiety, depression and other issues. The symptoms of PTSD include disturbing memories, nightmares and an increase in anxiety or hypervigilance. Hypnotherapy is a great way to control PTSD and is often used in conjunction with other therapies to get the best results.
Exercise
Exercise could be the most effective treatment for anxiety. Exercise can reduce anxiety symptoms for hours. A regular routine of physical activity can also help reduce anxiety.
Although it is well-documented that regular exercise can provide health benefits, very few studies have looked specifically at the effects it has on anxiety. A new study suggests that high intensity exercise is especially effective in treating anxiety.
The researchers involved in the study, led by University of Gothenburg psychologist Henriksson, assigned 223 adults with anxiety to a 12-week group fitness program that included either high or low intensity workouts. They also gave them instructions on how to incorporate exercises into their daily routines. anxiety treatments medication were clear for those who were in the high intensity group showed significantly greater improvement in their anxiety levels than those in the low intensity group.
These findings have implications for the use of exercise programs in general practice. Patients with anxiety tend to be more sedentary than people who are not affected and the absence of physical activity could contribute to their psychiatric problems. Physical activity is linked to an increase of 25 percent in the chance of developing depression or anxiety disorders than sedentary people.
It's not a surprise that exercise can improve mental health. It stimulates the release of hormones that make you feel good like serotonin and dopamine. It can also improve sleep and boost self-esteem. But the benefits of physical exercise is higher than that. A number of studies have found that it is as effective as antidepressants in treating anxiety.
A recent meta-analysis carried out by Jayakody and co-workers identified eight trials comparing groups that exercised with those who did not. All of these studies showed a decrease in anxiety. However, the researchers restricted their studies to those that involved participants with a formally diagnosed anxiety disorder. It is evident that more research is required to determine if exercise is an effective treatment option for those who have elevated levels of anxiety.