Anxiety Treatments

There are numerous treatment methods for anxiety disorder. Medication and therapy are the most common treatments. Lifestyle change and alternative medicines are also proving popular for anxiety related illness.

Medication: Anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications are most commonly prescribed for sufferers of anxiety disorder. Beta blockers, anticonvulsants, and antipsychotics may also be used. Anti-depressant medications come in three varieties; selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (Citalopram (Celexa), Fluvoxamine (Luvox), etc), tricyclic antidepressants (Amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep), Doxepin (Sinequan, Adapin, etc), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), (Maclobemide (Manerix, Aurorix). There is also a new breed of anti-depressants that are not SSRIs ( Buprorpion (Wellbutrin), Nefazadone (Serzone), etc). Although initially developed to treat depressions, these medications have proven beneficial for many anxiety sufferers.

The anti-anxiety drugs include benzodiazepines, which are fast-acting and have few side effects for many people who take them. If taken for several months, however, they can lead to dependency. Doctors should prescribe the least possible dosages necessary and should not increase the dosage over time.

Therapy: Psychotherapy involves talking with a trained mental health professional – a psychologist, counselor, social worker, or psychiatrist. The objective of such sessions is to learn how to cope with the anxiety disorder. Specific anxiety disorders may require specialized therapy treatments such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy ( EMDR). exposure therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) and virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET).