What Is The Most Effective Treatment For Anxiety
The most effective treatment for anxiety is behavioral therapy, medication, or a combination of the two. Depending on what kind of anxiety a patient is experiencing, along with other factors, one treatment may work better than the other. It may take some time to determine which treatment will work the best.
Later in Treatment of anxiety disorders, the authors state that the treatment recommendations given in this article are based on guidelines, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews of randomized controlled studies. Anxiety disorders should be treated with psychological therapy, pharmacotherapy, or a combination of both.
How To Make The Most Of Therapy
Trying to make a change can be a challenge. Being in therapy for anxiety is no exception. However, if you are persistent, you should see improvement.
Here are a few ways to make the most of your therapyand actually see some results:
- Don’t pretend to be OK
- Ask questions
- Tell your therapist anything and everything
- Do the work outside your sessions
- Focus on your goals
- Make sure you have a social support system
- Reduce stress in your life that makes your anxiety worse
In this way, you can see that putting in an effort and being present throughout the therapy process will have the biggest impact on how well it works for you.
Who Is At Risk For Anxiety Disorders
A mix of genetic and environmental factors can raise a persons risk for developing anxiety disorders. You may be at higher risk if you have or had:
- Certain personality traits, such as shyness or behavioral inhibition feeling uncomfortable with, and avoiding, unfamiliar people, situations or environments.
- Stressful or traumatic events in early childhood or adulthood.
- Family history of anxiety or other mental health conditions.
- Certain physical conditions, including thyroid problems and heart arrhythmias .
Anxiety disorders occur more often in women. Researchers are still studying why that happens. It may come from womens hormones, especially those that fluctuate throughout the month. The hormone testosterone may play a role, too men have more, and it may ease anxiety. Its also possible that women are less likely to seek treatment, so the anxiety worsens.
Read Also: How To Know If You Are Having An Anxiety Attack
What Are The Treatments For Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Medication for Anxiety
Medication is useful for alleviating the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and is often prescribed in conjunction with other therapies. Some types of anxiety drugs can be habit-forming and are usually prescribed on a short-term or as-needed basis.
Different anxiety disorders have different medication regimens. Some are preventive and some are designed to cure the problem.
Antidepressants, particularly the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors , are widely used to treat and prevent a variety of anxiety disorders. Examples of SSRIs that are commonly used to treat chronic anxiety include citalopram , escitalopram , fluoxetine , paroxetine , and sertraline . The antidepressantsduloxetine and venlafaxine , SNRIs which act on the brain chemicals serotonin and norephinephrine, and some of the tricyclic antidepressants like imipramine , may also help. Novel antidepressants such as mirtazepine are also prescribed at times.Ã
Another anti-anxiety drug is busprirone . It has fewer side effects than the benzodiazepines and is not associated with dependence. Buspar, however, can have its own side effects and may not always be as effective when a person has taken benzodiazepines in the past.
Therapy for Anxiety
Psychotherapy, with or without medication, is often considered a fundamental aspect of treatment for generalized anxiety disorder.
Lifestyle Modifications to Alleviate Anxiety
Anxiety Medication Combined With Therapy
The other evidence-based treatment for anxiety is cognitive behavioral treatment and its important to understand that in our big study, where we compared combination treatment of cognitive behavioral therapy and medication with either one of those treatments alone, that the combination beat them all handily. So when youre thinking about the very best treatment youve got to be thinking in terms of medication plus a psychological intervention.
Read Also: What Can I Do To Help My Anxiety
Unresponsiveness To Standard Treatments
Before considering a patient to be treatment unresponsive, it should be ascertained that the diagnosis was correct, adherence to the treatment plan was sufficient, the dose prescribed had covered the full range, and there had been a trial period of adequate duration. When patients report previous treatment failures, it often turns out that a drug was only prescribed in the lowest dose or was stopped within the first 2 weeks due to side effects that occurred in the initial phase before the patient could experience improvement.
Elderly patients may take longer to show a response. Table III contains options in case of drug inefficacy or intolerance. In patients who are unresponsive to psychotropic drugs, the addition of CBT is generally recommended.
A combination of antidepressants and benzodiazepines is sometimes used in treatment-refractory cases.
When all standard treatments have failed, the off-label use of drugs may be considered, for example, drugs licensed for another anxiety disorder or that are not licensed but have shown efficacy in clinical studies. Such drugs include quetiapine and agomelatine.
What Is A Panic Disorder
If you have a panic disorder, you get intense, sudden panic attacks. These attacks often feature stronger, more intense feelings than other types of anxiety disorders.
The feelings of terror may start suddenly and unexpectedly or they may come from a trigger, like facing a situation you dread. Panic attacks can resemble heart attacks. If theres any chance youre experiencing a heart attack, go to the emergency room. Its better to err on the side of caution and have a healthcare professional check you.
During a panic attack, you may experience:
- Sweating.
- Chest pain.
- Feeling of choking, which can make you think youre having a heart attack or going crazy.
Panic attacks are very upsetting. People with panic disorder often spend a lot of time worrying about the next panic attack. They also try to avoid situations that might trigger an attack.
You May Like: When To Get Help For Depression And Anxiety
This Is How To Choose The Best Treatment For Anxiety
Start by talking to your therapist and getting a diagnosis. You should also understand your options, decide between medication and therapy, and consider your lifestyle. Make sure to stick with your treatment and adjust as needed.
Follow these steps to choose the right treatment for your anxiety.
Dont forget to browse our site for advice on business, health, lifestyle, and more.
What Are Some Drug Interactions For Anti
Benzodiazepines
- Alprazolam increases blood levels of the antidepressants imipramine and desipramine. Alprazolam may also interact with some calcium channel blockers and with grapefruit juice. Carbamazepine decreases blood levels of alprazolam.
- Combining benzodiazepines with alcohol or other central nervous system depressants can cause increased sedation and potentially dangerous respiratory depression.
- Fluoxetine, propoxyphene, and oral contraceptives increase blood levels of alprazolam , as do ketoconazole, itraconazole, nefazodone, fluvoxamine, and erythromycin.
- Oral antifungal agents such as ketoconazole and itraconazole may significantly decrease blood levels of clonazepam .
- Serious side effects, including respiratory arrest, may occur if lorazepam is combined with clozapine. Dosage of lorazepam should be halved when taken with valproate or probenecid.
- Theophylline and aminophylline may affect the sedative effects of lorazepam.
- Several drugs can increase the blood levels of triazolam , including isoniazid, oral contraceptives, and ranitidine. Ketoconazole, itraconazole, and nefazodone have a profound effect on triazolam metabolism and should not be taken with it. Grapefruit juice also increases the amount of triazolam in the blood.
- Triazolam may interact with calcium channel blockers, antidepressants, ergotamine, amiodarone, and cyclosporine.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
Tricyclic Antidepressants
MAOIs
Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors
Buspirone
Also Check: How To Help Someone Having An Anxiety Attack
How Are Anxiety Disorders Diagnosed
If you have symptoms of an anxiety disorder, talk to your healthcare provider. Theyll start with a complete medical history and physical examination.
There are no lab tests or scans that can diagnose anxiety disorders. But your provider may run some of these tests to rule out physical conditions that may be causing symptoms.
Who Needs Anxiety Treatments
People who suffer from anxiety need anxiety treatments, and they must not settle for anything less except the best treatment for anxiety. People who experience the following symptoms may be anxious: fast heartbeat, shallow or rapid breathing and imagining doomsday. So, if the person exhibits these symptoms, dont wait for it to get more serious. The sufferer may need intervention such as being administered medicines for anxiety treatments.
Recommended Reading: Does Pristiq Help With Anxiety
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and commitment therapy for social anxiety disorder is a “third-wave” technique developed after CBT. It is based on Buddhist philosophy.
Through ACT, you learn how to accept negative thoughts and anxiety rather than trying to eliminate them. By detaching yourself from your social anxiety, it is expected that your symptoms will naturally lessen.
An ACT therapist uses experiential exercises, values-guided interventions, and mindfulness skills training as part of therapy.
Special Benzodiazepine Risk Factors
Anyone who takes benzodiazepines can experience unpleasant or dangerous side effects. But certain individuals are at a higher risk:
People over 65. Older adults are more sensitive to the sedating effects of benzodiazepines. Even small doses can cause confusion, amnesia, loss of balance, and cognitive impairment that looks like dementia. Benzodiazepine use in the elderly is associated with an increased risk of falls, broken hips and legs, and car accidents. Long-term benzodiazepine use also increases the risk of Alzheimers disease and dementia.
People with a history of substance abuse. Because theyre physically addicting and on their own and dangerous when combined with alcohol and other drugs, anyone with a current or former substance abuse problem should use benzodiazepines only with extreme caution.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women. Benzodiazepine use during pregnancy can lead to dependence in the developing baby, with withdrawal following birth. Benzodiazepines are also excreted in breast milk. Therefore, pregnant women need to have a thorough discussion about the risks and benefits of these medications with their prescribing doctor. If medication is necessary, the goal is the smallest effective dose.
The connection between benzodiazepines and accidents
Read Also: How To Stop Social Anxiety
How Accurate Are Anxiety Tests
Anxiety tests are useful for determining what level of anxiety you might be experiencing. If you think you have some issues with stress-induced anxiety, an anxiety test can help identify the severity of your condition. The accuracy of an anxiety test depends on which type of test you take and how honest you are in answering questions. If you take a panic or stress test while feeling anxious, its possible that the results could give a false-negative result.
If, however, you wait until after feeling relaxed to do the test, then it should be very accurate. Its important that you do not take the same anxiety test again without making any changes to your life if you want accurate results. Its also recommended that you dont do an anxiety test with someone else. If two people take the same test together, one person may answer more honestly than the other. This means that if both of them lie on some questions, neither of their answers can be trusted as accurate or true.
Types Of Anxiety Tests
There are many kinds of anxiety tests that your doctor or mental health professional may prescribe. These tests are usually used to measure how severely you are affected by your anxiety or stress, but they can help diagnose problems with mental health as well.
The most common types of anxiety tests include intelligence tests, intelligence quotient tests, clinical interviews, self-evaluation scales and questionnaires, neuropsychological tests, and behavioral observations.
These anxiety tests can be used to determine things like how well you do certain tasks, what your IQ is, if you have a mental or physical illness that could be worsening your anxiety or stress levels, whether you have a high level of intelligence for your age group, and so on.
In some cases, these tests can be used to help diagnose mental health problems such as depression and bipolar disorder.
Certain types of anxiety tests may involve visiting a clinic or hospital for an examination with a professional. Who will determine if you have any coexisting conditions that are affecting your anxiety levels?
Before taking an anxiety test, its important that you do not feel anxious or stressed because you want accurate results. If you need to take anxiety tests on a regular basis. Its best that you speak to a trusted doctor or health care professional. So they can help diagnose any possible problems.
Read Also: Can A Uti Cause Anxiety
What Are Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders affect 31.9 percent of people between the ages of 13 and 18, and women are twice as likely to develop an anxiety disorder as men. Common examples of anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, substance-induced anxiety disorder and specific phobias.
An anxiety disorder does more than make you anxious. They can affect your entire life. Plus, untreated anxiety can lead to other mental health disorders and physical conditions, Alonzo said. We have no way of predicting what will cause someone to develop an anxiety disorder. However, you can take steps to reduce the impact of symptoms such as getting help from a health care professional early and avoiding the use of non-prescribed drugs and alcohol.
Examining Data On Medication For Anxiety
What do we know so far, starting with medication?
Three types of drugs antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and beta-blockers are used to treat anxiety in the general population, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Do these medications work the same in people with autism? When doing their detective work, Dr. Vasa and the researchers with the Autism Treatment Network found only a few drug studies that focused solely on youth with autism and anxiety. The studies were small, lacked a control group, and/or did not hide the medication’s names from the researchers. Generally, the results of studies with those features may be less reliable. The best studies use many participants and keep the medication being tested a secret from both participants and researchers, to prevent that knowledge from influencing them.
A few studies showed that children who took either the antidepressant citalopram or the anti-anxiety drug buspirone showed some improvement. Children who took the antidepressant fluvoxamine did not report benefit in another small study. But whether those results will hold up in studies with a more rigorous design is unknown. In addition, some children had unwanted side effects that ranged from mild to severe.12
Don’t Miss: Does Clonidine Help With Anxiety