Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety can sabotage the quality of life of an individual by making them feel stressed exhausted, depressed and depressed. Worry can keep people from engaging with others, thereby enhancing their false sense of security and causing isolation.
Treatment for anxiety involves psychotherapy, medication, and exercise. Medications include antidepressants such as SSRIs, citalopram and escitalopram (citalopram and escitalopram) and benzodiazepines like lorazepam and diazepam.
Medicines
Anxiety disorders are a result of anxiety that lasts for too long or causes disruption to everyday life. Treatment for anxiety disorders typically includes psychotherapy and medication. Although medications can relieve symptoms, they do not solve anxiety disorders. They should be used along alongside psychotherapy and lifestyle adjustments.
Antidepressants as well as other benzodiazepines can be often prescribed to alleviate anxiety. Antidepressants help to correct a chemical imbalance within the brain, which can cause anxiety. Benzodiazepines, such as Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam) and Valium (diazepam) are sedatives that are fast-acting to stop the body's response to anxiety. They can also be addictive and should not be used for long periods of time.
Serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs aid in reducing the levels of the cortisol stress hormone in the body. They also block receptors that absorb serotonin in the brain, permitting more of the mood enhancing chemical to circulate, and alleviating anxiety. Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, or SNRIs, have similar effects to SSRIs and can also be effective in treating anxiety. SSRIs have a great safety record, are widely available and effective for most people. Cons Some patients experience side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness or dry mouth.
Other psychiatric drugs like propranolol can also help with anxiety symptoms. These drugs are typically used to treat high blood pressure and heart problems However, doctors may prescribe them "off-label" for anxiety. They are used to decrease the effects of stress hormones like adrenaline and noradrenaline that increase blood pressure and heart rate. They also can cause negative effects, such as bradycardia, orthostatic hypotension and sedation.
You can ease anxiety by changing your diet and exercising enough. Relaxing activities, like yoga and meditation. There are also other treatments for the mind such as acupuncture and Tai Chi which can help ease anxiety. Talk to your doctor about what options are appropriate for you.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a research-based psychotherapy that is effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders. It is based on the belief that feelings, thoughts and physical sensations have a connection and that negative patterns may keep you in a vicious cycle. CBT helps you identify your negative thoughts patterns, and implement techniques to help you manage them. It also teaches you to control your reactions to anxiety-provoking situations and develop coping strategies.
In the first session, the therapist will usually conduct an assessment. This could include filling out questionnaires or conducting an interview or even supplying written material. This will help them to determine the cause of your disorder and pinpoint distressing symptoms. It will also determine whether your current treatments are effective. The test will also help determine if you are able to have a a therapeutic relationship.
CBT usually lasts 20 sessions or less. During these sessions, will meet with your therapist at least every week or two weeks. Your therapist will teach various self-help techniques, such as how to change your perspective on unhelpful thinking and practice positive outcome images. They will also help you develop coping skills, such as how to relax your body and calm your mind.
Your therapist might offer you tools, such as therapy worksheets, that will aid in tracking symptoms and triggers. They can help you conquer anxiety in small steps that are manageable so that it doesn't appear as daunting. If you're afraid 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 helps you challenge your irrational, catastrophic predictions by generating evidence against them. If you are afraid that something bad will occur to you if you leave your house, you can do a behavioural test by making a prediction. For example, "If I go for dinner, I'll get food poisoning." Then, you can record whether or not the prediction was accurate.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is a good option as a supplement to medication for anxiety. Hypnosis can help people relax, alter their perception of their symptoms, and modify their behavior. It can also be used to overcome phobias. It can be used to decrease stress and anxiety, but can also help with pain. The effects of hypnosis may be long lasting and the benefits can be observed from just one session.
During a session of hypnosis (or while listening to a recorded audio) the therapist will guide you into a state that feels like a daydream. In this relaxed state you are able to respond and listen to suggestions made by the therapist. They might ask you to imagine an environment that is safe and relaxing and then ask you to pay attention to the sensory details that slowly become real. This is referred to as a "deepening state of trance.' Here is where you will begin to notice a change in the symptoms.
Many people notice a difference immediately. They may leave the room or open their eyes following an hypnotherapy session and can already feel shifts. This is normal and sometimes it can be awe-inspiring. For some people however, it might take a few sessions before they can notice any positive changes. This is normal and it's important to allow time for the therapy to be effective.
Always consult your physician prior to undergoing the hypnotherapy method. They can discuss your options and answer any questions you might have regarding hypnotherapy for anxiety. You'll need to schedule an appointment in private for hypnotherapy if you are interested in using hypnosis. The sessions can be costly but are generally more cost effective than other forms of treatment for anxiety.
In certain instances, hypnosis can be used to treat PTSD. This condition is caused by trauma like a car accident, natural disaster or war, and can cause depression, anxiety and other problems. Symptoms of PTSD include recurring memories, night terrors, and an increase in anxiety. Hypnotherapy can be a very effective treatment for PTSD and is often used in conjunction with other forms of therapy to produce the most effective results.
Exercise
Exercise could be the most effective treatment for anxiety. Exercise can ease anxiety symptoms for a long time. A regular routine of physical exercise can aid in reducing them.
Although it is well documented that regular exercise can provide health benefits, very few studies have focused on its effects on anxiety. However, a new study suggests that high intensity exercise regimens are particularly effective for the condition.
Researchers involved in the study under the direction of University of Gothenburg psychologist Henriksson assigned 223 individuals with anxiety issues to an intensive 12-week program of group exercise that included moderate or high-intensity training. www.iampsychiatry.com provided them with instructions on how to integrate fitness into their life. The results were clear. Those in the high-intensity groups showed significant improvements in anxiety levels compared to those in low-intensity.
These findings have implications for the use of exercise programs in general practice. Patients with anxiety tend to be more sedentary than people who do not suffer from the condition and a lack of physical activity could cause psychiatric issues for them. Physical activity is associated with an increase of 25 percent in the risk of suffering from depression or anxiety disorders than sedentary people.
It's not a surprise that exercise has a positive effect on mental health. It stimulates the release of hormones that make you feel good, such as serotonin and dopamine. It can also improve sleep and boost self-esteem. But the benefit of physical activity is even more than that. A number of studies have shown that it is as effective as antidepressants for treating anxiety.
A recent meta-analysis done by Jayakody et al. identified eight studies which compared groups who exercised with those who did not exercise. The studies all showed an improvement in anxiety levels. Researchers restricted their studies to trials involving participants with a formal diagnosis of anxiety disorder. This means that further research is required to determine if exercise is an option for people with clinically raised anxiety levels.