Anxiety And Stress
Posts tagged Anxiety Depression
Anxiety Medications and Treatment
Jan 19th
There comes, in everybody’s life, a time when everything seems aimless and without meaning. While sometimes, situations might be trying in life; the normal reaction would be to look for remedial actions. Very rarely do healthy human beings allow feelings of hopelessness become so overwhelming. When such feelings however, do envelop you, it means you are suffering from anxiety and depression and there is anxiety medication to help you cope with the problem. The great news is, anxiety symptoms can be treated successfully and thankfully today, both anxiety and depression are recognized as serious afflictions which need understanding and proper treatment. However, in order to win the battle against anxiety and depression, you will need a very strong will, good support from family and friends
Symptom Free With Anxiety Medication
Research has enabled many new anxiety medications to be used and have been developed for treating anxiety disorders as well as some specific forms of psychotherapy. These two methods of using medications as well as therapies have been found to be quite effective and the choice of which to use rests entirely on the shoulders of the patient and his or her doctor as well as on the particular type of anxiety disorder.
Take Anxiety Medication Only As Directed
A physician or a psychiatrist may prescribe anxiety medications and very often, the doctor works closely with other mental health professionals who give their psychiatric evaluations and in spite of the fact that anxiety medication does not cure the anxiety disorder; it helps to keep symptoms under control and helps the patient lead a normal and fulfilling life. There are many different classes of anxiety medications and these include antidepressants for anxiety disorders, anti-anxiety medications as well as some other medications such as beta blockers like propanolol
There are a number of anxiety medications that have been used, in spite of their being originally used for treating depression and these work effectively on anxiety disorders, as well. Taking anti-depressants requires continuous use for several weeks before the symptoms begin to fade away. New anti-depressants are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and they include Lexapro, Zoloft, Paxil as well as Prozac and they act upon the chemical messenger in the brain, known as serotonin. A low dosage may be used to begin with and this may be gradually increased until reaching the therapeutic levels.
As far as the anti-anxiety medications are concerned, high potency benzodiazepines work to relieve the symptoms much faster and also, do not have any side effects, though the patient may feel drowsy. These anxiety medications do result in the patient developing tolerance to them and so require increased dosages to obtain the same effects. These anxiety medications are usually only prescribed for short periods of time. Another anti-anxiety medication is Buspirone, which is a member of a class of drugs that are known as azipirones which is a newer anti-anxiety medication used to treat GAD. One may suffer side effects such as drowsiness, headaches and nausea.
Other medications such as beta-blockers called propanolol can be used for treating heart conditions and also, for anxiety disorders, and social anxiety in particular. This beta-blocker helps a person to give oral presentations in front of the public as also helps to keep the heart steady and also steadies the hands.
Social Anxiety Disorder Treatment: Which Treatment Is Right For You?
Jul 2nd
If you suffer from social anxiety disorder then you may be wondering what treatment is right for you. It is important that you understand your social anxiety disorder so that you can treat it and ultimately cure yourself of it.
Social anxiety is a psychological condition which causes overwhelming fear of situations or events that require social interaction or performance in front of other people.
The anxiety often activates physical symptoms such as blushing, rapid heart beat, sweating, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, and many others and that can interfere with daily activities and socializing. And if this condition worsens, like keeps on recurring for more than six months and in most days than not without any reasonable explanations, this can become an immobilizing disorder.
A person with this disorder may fear social events and may result to being home-bound. But, there is cure to this illness. Social anxiety disorder treatment includes professional counseling and anxiety medications.
Treatments such as psychological counseling and medications, such as antidepressants which help reduce associated anxiety and depression, are both effective to those with this condition. The initial treatment is based on the severity of your emotional and physical symptoms and your ability to function in daily life activities.
People with social anxiety condition usually also have depression. In, addition, they may have problems with alcohol and substance abuse, therefore, your health professional may ask certain questions to know whether how severe your drinking or drug abuse can be. Usually, it goes undetected for years before treatment is sought and by that time, you may have developed behaviors that give room for the fears.
Types of counseling of social anxiety disorder treatment may include:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy- helps sufferers identify their anxieties and the situations that provoke the anxiety. This may feel a little uneasy on your part, but this is an important part for a successful recovery.
Treatment may include several types of cognitive-behavioral therapy, like:
Exposure therapy- you will be guided by a professional counselor to imagine you are facing your feared situation until such time, you will no longer fear it, such as going to public places.
Cognitive restructuring- helps you learn to identify and improve thinking patterns in order for you to cope up with social events.
Symptom management skills- this teaches you how to minimize stress by using proper breathing techniques and other physical responses to anxiety.
Supportive therapy- this type of therapy may include education about the illness, family therapy- to support loved ones with this condition, and group therapy or support groups- to seek support from others who have the same condition.
Medications for social anxiety disorder include:
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are often the first type of medication;
Benzodiazepines are for relieving anxiety and not for those with drug problems;
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) for relieving depression and anxiety;
Beta-blockers are taken to reduce anxiety and seldom used to treat anxiety symptoms like rapid heart beat;
Venlafaxine helps relieve anxiety and depression;
Ongoing treatment usually includes continuous psychological counselling and regular checkups to monitor if medications must be added to your treatment. Regular and continuous treatments are the best approach to treat your anxiety. There are many ways to treat social anxiety disorder treatment, some of which may surprise you.