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Medications and Complementary Therapies to Treat AnxietyEveryone fears and worries at times, but those with anxiety have a hard to control their reactions. Psychotherapy can help, as can medications such as beta blockers (used to lower blood pressure) and benzodiazepines.Self-help strategies can also ease symptoms. For instance, exercise can reduce stress and relax the body.MedicationIf a change in lifestyle or psychotherapy don’t help with your anxiety, medication could be an alternative. Anxiety medication helps to reduce fears and trigger the body’s fight or flight response. Antidepressants are the most common drugs used to treat anxiety. They raise levels of certain neurotransmitters which influence mood. SSRIs like citalopram (citalopram), escitalopram (escitalopram) sertraline (prozac) and citalopram (escitalopram) are often the first drugs prescribed. SNRIs such as duloxetine, venlafaxine and tricyclic antidepressants such as Tofranil (imipramine) Elavil, Tofranil (imipramine), or Pamelor are also effective in treating anxiety.The benzodiazepines can also be used to combat anxiety. They’re fast-acting and very helpful in the short-term however, they can be addictive and should only be used when other treatments don’t work. Benzodiazepines are often used to treat anxiety and insomnia.There are a myriad of different medications that can be used to treat anxiety, but only licensed health care providers can prescribe these medications. They include psychologists and psychiatrists as well as primary care physicians, some doctors of OB/GYNs and some psychiatric nurses. They also need to undergo special training in order to prescribe medications.Certain people utilize complementary therapies, such as exercise, to ease anxiety. You can also find ways to relax and reduce stress, including deep breathing and mindfulness meditation. Biofeedback can be another beneficial technique, in which a therapist monitors your brain-wave patterns on an electroencephalograph and teaches you how to control them at will.Additionally, natural supplements such as melatonin or 5-HTP may also aid in easing anxiety. Consult your physician before taking supplements to treat anxiety or any other health condition. Supplements in conjunction with a comprehensive treatment plan that includes psychotherapy and lifestyle modifications can enhance the effectiveness of your treatment.Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).best herbal treatment for anxiety (CBT) is among the most extensively studied and empirically validated psychotherapeutic methods for anxiety disorders. It targets the maladaptive thoughts and behaviors that maintain anxiety over time. While a variety of individual CBT protocols have been designed for different anxiety disorders, they share certain common treatment goals and methods.The first step in CBT is to identify the thoughts that are not working and cause anxiety. In the course of therapy, patients learn to recognize the negative beliefs they hold and challenge. The therapist will also help patients recognize and modify behaviors that cause them to avoid. The therapist may ask patients to keep “thought journals” or diaries outside of sessions and to apply the behavioural strategies they have learned in their daily life.Eventually, the aim is to train patients to become their own therapists by helping them to understand their habits of thought and behaviour. This will enable them to overcome unfounded fears, reduce their anxiety and other negative emotions, and become more resilient.CBT techniques involve the identification and correction of distortions in the patient’s thinking, such as overgeneralizing or catastrophizing, as well as minimizing positive events. Additionally, therapists aid the patient in developing techniques to cope with stressful situations. These techniques can be applied to all types of anxiety disorders. Often, they are incorporated into a comprehensive approach to mental health called “cognitive-behavioral therapy”.Another element of CBT is exposure therapy. This involves exposure therapy, which involves exposing the patient to the situation or object that causes them anxiety. This can be done by imagining or confronting the situation or object in real life. For example, a patient with PTSD who is scared of a certain location could be encouraged to visit the place where they were abused. A person suffering from social anxiety disorder, who is scared of speaking in public, may be encouraged to give an address before an audience.Certain studies have demonstrated that combining CBT and pharmaceutical therapy can improve outcomes. These results are mixed, and further research is needed. Combining medications with CBT is generally more effective than either alone. Combinations of CBT and benzodiazepines have proven to be particularly effective in patients suffering from generalized anxiety or panic disorder.Exposure therapyOne of the most effective treatments for anxiety is exposure therapy, which lets you face the things that make you anxious in a secure environment with a therapist. It can be difficult but it will help you understand that your fears aren’t justified and that you can tolerate your triggers. It can also improve your confidence in dealing with life’s challenges.There are several different types of exposure therapy, including virtual reality, imaginal and systematic desensitization. If you’re afraid to speak in public, your therapist might encourage you to practice with a buddy or imagine yourself delivering the speech. Then, you’ll be able to gradually confront the situation in real life with the help of your therapist’s support. During each session, your therapist will check to see whether you’re feeling anxious or scared and adjust the level of exposure depending on the needs.In an appointment, your therapist will teach you how to calm and manage your emotions, before giving you a brief overview of the triggers that cause you anxiety. This can include techniques like meditation, breathing with rhythm, and guided imagery. They can also teach strategies to avoid engaging in the behaviors that cause anxiety, like avoidance of elevators. Exposure therapy is usually done in a series weekly sessions. Some people need more than two sessions to overcome the anxiety.The first step is to identify what triggers your anxiety. For example, flying on a flight or being in the presence of strangers. Your therapist will assist you choose the method of exposure therapy that will suit your personality and needs. This could include using a hierarchical system to determine the order in which exposures are made or practicing relaxation techniques prior to beginning.In vivo therapy requires you to confront the thing or situation you are afraid of. It could be as easy as walking across an overpass or touching your arm. This approach can be used to treat specific phobias and posttraumatic stress disorder.In vivo exposure therapy can be difficult to incorporate in your schedule between appointments, which is why it’s important to find a therapist that is specialized in this type of cognitive therapy for behavioral. You can locate an experienced specialist by searching your local psychological association or the mental health network. It’s also a good idea to read reviews and ask relatives or friends for suggestions.Complementary therapiesComplementary therapies encompass a broad variety of treatments for health that are not considered to be part of Western medicine. They can reduce anxiety by teaching relaxation techniques and promoting the healthy lifestyle. These treatments could include acupuncture, herbal therapy yoga, meditation, music therapy, and massage. They can also help reduce depression symptoms by reducing levels of stress hormones within your body.Recent research has shown that mindfulness-based programs resulted in moderate improvement in anxiety-related symptoms. This approach uses different types of meditation to increase mindfulness, or the ability to concentrate on the present moment and let go of negative thoughts and emotions. This kind of meditation is suitable for everyone and doesn’t require any special equipment or knowledge. However, people with physical limitations may not be able to participate in meditation practices that require movements.Other therapies that can be used to ease anxiety include breathing exercises as well as progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, hypnosis and self-hypnosis. These techniques help you control anxiety by focussing on relaxing muscles breathing, calm breathing techniques, and visual imagery. They can be used at home or in a therapy setting. They are usually used in combination with other forms of therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy.Another way to ease anxiety is to exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet. Regular exercise can reduce your heart rate, blood-pressure and cortisol levels which are hormones that can cause anxiety. A healthy diet can help you feel more relaxed and, in turn, decrease your feelings of anxiety.Cognitive behavior therapy is a very effective treatment for anxiety. It helps you recognize and overcome negative thoughts that cause anxiety. Your therapist will show you how to assess your anxiety and determine the likelihood that they’ll happen. You can employ strategies like the comparison of your fears to previous experiences by weighing the pros and cons of a situation, and determining whether it’s realistic to be worried about something that might happen.Acupuncture, an ancient Chinese method, can be utilized to treat stress. It is based on the evaluation of excesses or deficiencies in your energy (called Qi) found in specific meridians. A deficiency of the spleen or kidney meridian can trigger anxiety. Acupuncture studies have suggested that it can help alleviate anxiety symptoms when combined with psychotherapy or other CAM techniques.