Treatments For Anxiety
Chances are if you are reading this article you are looking for treatments for anxiety whether it is for yourself or someone close to you. The fact that you are looking for information and therapy options available for overcoming panic attacks or severe anxiety is a good first step in helping to resolve the issue.
Severe anxiety disorders and social anxiety affect us all at some point in our lives. It’s only natural in this increasingly hectic lifestyle we live nowadays that we feel some of the symptoms of anxiety. Being worried when confronting a situation such as public speaking, exams or a job interview is a common worry for people. However, it’s when you get to the point that anxiety starts ruling your life (and your ability to sleep and function properly) that you should acknowledge you have an illness.
Let’s first take a brief look at what causes anxiety attacks. Put simply there is no single cause of anxiety but there are a few factors that contribute to an individual developing anxiety. The potential causes of anxiety can be categorised as brain chemistry, environmental factors, medical factors, drug abuse and heredity. Usually one of these factors will be to blame although it’s not uncommon for sufferers to make themselves anxious by continual negativity i.e. the habit of always thinking the worst is going to happen.
Now that we’ve seen the causes now we’ll look at the panic disorder symptoms most commonly displayed by sufferers:
- Shaking
- Unsettled stomach
- Feeling sick
- Diarrhoea
- Migraines
- Backpain
- Heart palpitations
- Numbness or “pins and needles” in arms, hands or legs
- Sweating/flushing
- Easily tired
- Being fidgety
- Trouble concentrating
- Easily irritated
- Muscle tension
- Frequent urination
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Being easily startled
In terms of treatments for anxiety this can be broken down into four categories:
Self-Help
Anxiety disorder symptoms can be improved by using relaxation techniques in addition to regular exercise. Becoming a member of support groups for fellow sufferers can also be a great source of support and helpful advice. The internet is awash with helpful resources and information on local support groups.
Counselling
This is where you sit down with a qualified counsellor who will assess your issues and fears and then help you work out an action plan to help you focus on what you would like to be able to do in life and how to go about achieving those goals
Counselling has been shown to be an effective treatment for phobias, panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder particularly in the short-term.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
This is one of the best forms of psychotherapy treatments for anxiety disorder. It is also commonly referred to as “talking treatment”. With this particular therapy you will discuss your issues with a specially trained therapist (who could be a psychologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist or a psychiatric nurse).
This type of therapy is focused on replacing your low self-esteem and negative thought with positive thoughts and actions. Changing the way you think will help change the way you behave and should make you calmer and help get rid of some of the symptoms of anxiety mentioned earlier. CBT is also a good remedy for children suffering from generalized anxiety.
CBT tends to work quicker than other kinds of psychotherapy and typically you will get around 16-20 hours of anxiety therapy. It requires an open-mind and some sufferers find it quite upsetting as you are confronting your fears which is never easy.
Medication
The usual treatments to cure anxiety are anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs. You may get prescribed anti-depressants even if you aren’t suffering from depression as some of them can help people with anxiety.
The four major classes of medication prescribed for anxiety disorders are:
SSRI’s
This generally works by improving your mood. Drugs such as sertraline, paroxetine, fluoxetine, citalopram and escitalopram usually produce fewer side-effects compared to antidepressants. Those suffering from OCD will typically require higher doses.
SNRI’s
Whereas SSRI’s only inhibit serotonin, SNRI’s will stop serotonin and norepinephrine getting absorbed into the brain. Effexor and Cymbalta are two of the kinds anxiety drugs you may get given.
Tricyclic Antidepressants
This stops serotonin, norepinephrine and to a lesser extent dopamine. TCA’s (amitriptyline, imipramine and nortriptyline) are effective anxiety treatments although they can cause side-effects such as constipation, blood pressure, urinary retention and blurry vision.
Benzodiazepines
This is usually used as a short-term treatment for anxiety. Benzodiazepines (alprazolam, lorazepam, diazepam and clonazepam) are very good for stimulating relaxation and the reduction of muscle tension. Long-term use can require increased doses to have the same effect so there is a danger of becoming reliant on the drug.
For anyone suffering from anxiety attacks at least one of the four treatments for anxiety (self-help, counselling, CBT or medication) should help you alleviate at least some of your problems.
