There are medications that can be prescribed by doctors for anxiety treatment. Medications can be useful to relieve some of the symptoms of anxiety, but they do not solve the underlying problems of anxiety. Producing long-lasting changes requires an individual to use non-drug treatments. Doctors will most often prescribe either benzodiazepines or antidepressants to help people deal with anxiety.
Benzodiazepines, also known as tranquilizers, are the most common class of anti-anxiety drugs. Benzodiazepines are more commonly recognized by the brand names Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and Atvian. These drugs help a person relax by slowing down their central nervous system. These medications help a person relax quickly by taking effect usually within an hour after a person takes them. Unfortunately, this only temporarily relieves most symptoms of anxiety. It is important to understand the downsides of taking these medications. Slowing down a person's central nervous system will act as an anxiety treatment, but it also blocks feelings of pleasure and pain. Another thing to worry about with these drugs is becoming over sedated. Over sedation can occur because these medications metabolize slowly. Over sedation can cause problems at work, school, and performing every day activities. The long-term effects from benzodiazepine users include depression and a higher risk of having suicidal thoughts or feelings.
Another type of anxiety treatment are antidepressants. Antidepressants work to elevate a person's mood by regulating the serotonin levels in the brain. The most popular antidepressants that are prescribed are Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, and Celexa. It takes quite a bit of time before antidepressants begin to treat anxiety. It can take up to six weeks before antidepressants begin working as an anxiety treatment. There are also a lot of side effects with antidepressants. These side effects include nausea, nervousness, headaches, sleepiness, sexual dysfunction, dizziness, upset stomach, and weight gain. It can also be difficult to withdraw from antidepressants. Some problems during withdraw include extreme depression, fatigue, irritability, and insomnia.
Anxiety Treatment Therapy.
Another type of anxiety treatment is therapy. Therapy is a better anxiety treatment than medication because it treats the underlying problems that are causing anxiety. However, there are a few drawbacks to therapy as an anxiety treatment. The cost of therapy can make it an unfavorable option for a lot of people. It can cost an individual 95 dollars for just one hour of online therapy. One session is never enough time to cure a person of their anxiety. It usually takes 8 to 10 sessions before an individual can see some real progress assuming they found the right therapist who can tailor the therapy to their specific needs.
The most widely used therapy for anxiety treatment is cognitive therapy. Cognitive therapy helps a person change negative patterns that affect the way they look at himself, and the world. There are three specific steps to cognitive therapy. The first step is to identify the negative thoughts. In step two, an individual is asked to challenge these negative thoughts. Try to figure out why you are thinking this way. Is this the right way to be thinking? In step three, the patient is challenged to replace these negative thoughts with more positive and realistic ones.
Exposure therapy can also be used for anxiety treatment. Exposure therapy makes people confront their fears because avoiding fears never gives a person the chance to overcome them. During exposure therapy, a patient is forced to face repeated exposures of their fear in the belief that this will lead to a feeling of control over the situation. Patients usually begin confronting smaller fears and then gradually work their way up to confronting their larger fears.
