Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety can take a toll on an individual's life by making people feel depressed and exhausted. Worry can prevent people from interacting, reinforcing a misguided feeling that they are in danger and creating a sense of isolation.
Treatment for anxiety involves psychotherapy, medications, and exercise. The medications include antidepressants like SSRIs, citalopram and Escitalopram (citalopram and escitalopram) as well as benzodiazepines like lorazepam and diazepam.
Medicines
Most people feel anxious at times However, if that feeling lasts for a long time or is a hindrance to daily activities, it's the sign of an anxiety disorder. Psychotherapy and medication are commonly employed to treat anxiety disorders. Although medications can relieve symptoms, they cannot solve anxiety disorders. Therefore, they should be employed in conjunction with psychotherapy and other lifestyle adjustments.
The most commonly prescribed medications for anxiety include antidepressants as well as benzodiazepines. Antidepressants can correct a imbalance of the chemicals in the brain, which causes anxiety. Benzodiazepines, such as Xanax, Klonopin, and Valium are sedatives which help to stop the body's response to anxiety. They are also addictive, and therefore are not recommended for use over the long-term.
SSRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) help reduce the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in the body. They also block the brain's receptors that absorb serotonin and allow more of the mood-enhancing chemical. This helps reduce 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, and are widely available and are effective for a majority of people. Cons: Some patients experience side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness and dry mouth.
Propranolol, along with other psychiatric medicines can also help with anxiety-related symptoms. These drugs are typically used to treat high blood pressure and heart problems however, doctors can prescribe them "off-label" to treat anxiety. They are used to lessen the effects of stress hormones in the body, like noradrenaline and adrenaline. These hormones raise your heart rate and blood pressure. 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 exercising enough. So can relaxing activities like yoga and meditation. Additionally there are many mind-body therapies that can help ease anxiety, including acupuncture and tai chi. Consult your physician about what options are suitable for you.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a scientifically-based psychotherapy that works in the treatment of anxiety disorders. It is based on the idea that emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations all are connected 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 manage them. It also teaches you to regulate your responses to anxiety-producing situations and develop coping strategies.
In the initial session, a therapist usually performs an assessment. This could involve filling out questionnaires, interviewing you or supplying written materials. This will allow them to identify the specific disorder you suffer from and pinpoint the distressing symptoms. It will also determine whether your current treatment options are effective. They will also use the test to determine if they can develop an therapeutic relationship with you.
CBT usually lasts 20 sessions or less. You will meet your therapist every week, either once or twice during these sessions. Your therapist will guide you through various self-help strategies including how to change negative thoughts into positive ones and how to practice positive outcomes imagery. They will also teach you coping skills such as how to calm your mind and relax your body.
Your therapist might also offer tools, such as therapy worksheets, that will help you track symptoms and triggers. They will help you overcome your anxiety in small steps that are manageable to make it less like a daunting task. If you are scared of social situations, your therapist may have you role-play with them and then move onto talking to your family or friends.
Another aspect of CBT is behavioural experiments. It allows you to challenge your irrational catastrophic predictions by developing helpful evidence against them. For example, if you think that something awful will happen if you leave the house, you might do an experiment with your behavior by predicting a scenario prior to going out, such as "If I go out for dinner, I will be sick with food poisoning." You can then record whether your prediction was correct or false.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is a different treatment to medications for anxiety. It employs hypnosis to aid people change their perceptions about their symptoms, change their behaviors and relax. It can also be used to overcome fears. It is commonly used to reduce anxiety and stress, however it can also help in alleviating pain. The effects of hypnosis can last for a long time and can be observed after only one session.
In a hypnosis session (or while listening to a recorded recording), the therapist guides you into a state of mind that is like a dream. In meds to treat anxiety relaxed state you will be able to listen and respond to suggestions from the therapist. They may ask you to imagine a safe and relaxing place and then they will instruct you to pay attention to sensory details that gradually become more real. This is referred to as "deepening trance". This is when the therapy starts to take effect and you will begin to notice a change in your symptoms.
Many people notice a change immediately. After hypnotherapy sessions, they can feel the shift as soon as they leave the room or close their eyes. This is quite normal and can feel magical. However, for some it could take a few sessions before they can see any positive changes. This is normal, and it's crucial to allow therapy time to work.
If you're considering the possibility of hypnotherapy you should consult your physician first. They will be able to discuss your options and answer any questions that you may have about the use of hypnotherapy to treat anxiety. Hypnosis is not offered on the NHS therefore you'll need to book an appointment with a qualified therapist. These sessions can be costly but they are also more cost-effective than other types of treatment for anxiety.
In certain instances the use of hypnosis is used to treat PTSD. This condition is caused by trauma such as a car accident, natural disaster or war, and can cause depression, anxiety and other problems. The signs of PTSD are arousing memory as well as night terrors and increased anxiety. Hypnotherapy can be a successful method to manage PTSD and is typically used in conjunction with other therapies to get the best results.
Exercise
Exercise may be the best treatment for anxiety. A vigorous workout session can ease anxiety symptoms for hours, and a consistent routine of exercise can significantly reduce them over time.
While it is well-documented that regular exercise has health benefits, only a few studies have specifically examined the effects it has on anxiety. However, a new study suggests that high intensity exercise routines are particularly beneficial for anxiety disorders.
Researchers who participated in the study were led by University of Gothenburg psychologist Henriksson assigned 223 people with anxiety issues to a 12-week program of group exercise, which included low- or high-intensity workouts. They also gave them tips on how they can incorporate exercises into their lives. The results were evident that those who were in the high-intensity group showed significant improvement in their anxiety levels than those in the low-intensity group.
These results have implications for the use of exercise plans in general practice. Patients with anxiety tend to be more sedentary compared to those without the condition and an absence of physical activity may contribute to their psychiatric problems. Physical activity is associated with an increase of 25 percent in the risk of suffering from depression or anxiety disorders than sedentary people.
Exercise has a positive effect on mental well-being. It boosts the release of positive hormones like serotonin, dopamine and others. It can improve sleep and increase self-esteem. However, the benefits of physical exercise are even greater studies have proven that it is more effective than antidepressants in treating anxiety.
A recent meta-analysis conducted by Jayakody and colleagues identified eight studies comparing groups who exercised versus those who did not. These studies all reported an improvement in anxiety levels. Researchers restricted their studies to studies involving people with a formal diagnosis of anxiety disorder. This means that more research is needed to assess whether exercise is a viable option for those with elevated anxiety levels clinically.