When you have an anxiety disorder or symptoms that are disrupting your days and your life, it can be easy to just take whatever your doctor says or prescribes at face value in the belief that it is going to work. But for many patients, medication sends them into a downward spiral of more anxiety, new symptoms, and even risky side effects. So what treatments are effective?
In this chapter, we will examine some of the most beneficial treatments for anxiety disorder and symptoms. Some of these treatments will be conventional, such as psychotherapy, and some will be a bit less conventional. Likewise, we will be talking in depth about the roles of basic needs- sleep, diet, and exercise- in your anxiety symptoms and how simple improvements in these things can help make a significant difference.
Education
man studying
So often, patients end up accepting treatments with little question on their part. While your doctors and mental health professionals do have a great deal of education, it is important to know that they don’t know everything. Most importantly, they don’t know everything about you. Your doctor doesn’t know your lifestyle habits, your entire history, what medications make you sensitive, or even how severe your symptoms really feel to you. Most importantly, your doctor doesn’t know what it feels like to be you on a daily basis- no matter how hard or how clearly you explain it. It’s an impossible task, and it can make treatment more difficult.
It is important for you to realize that your doctor isn’t all knowing, and it is equally important to know that a good doctor is willing to work with you to give you the best chances at success and recovery. Take the time to educate yourself on your conditions and symptoms. Show your doctor that you are willing to put in the hard work and research on finding what might work best for you and you will likely find that they are willing to try remedies and methods that you believe will be effective.
A great place to start is in researching natural treatments. Understand how your lifestyle and choices play a role in your anxiety, but look into different therapies and natural methods that can help you overcome anxiety without producing new symptoms. If you are able to show that the treatment offers results and can present your doctor with studies or information that show the benefits of a particular treatment, not only might he or she help ensure that you receive that treatment, but you may also help your practitioner find a better way to treat existing patients as well.
By educating yourself about your condition and about any potential medications, treatments, or symptoms, you can walk into every appointment equipped to offer your own opinions and suggestions regarding your treatment. You know yourself better than anyone. When you fully understand the potential risks and benefits of a new therapy or treatment option, you can decide if it might be right for you without major side effects and surprises occurring along the way.
So often, patients get frustrated when side effects occur or a therapy doesn’t work because their doctors didn’t take time to explain every possibility. Remember that your doctor is trying, but that there is simply no substitute for doing the research yourself. Knowing what to expect can help you avoid problems with new treatments.
Therapy
Woman with therapist
Therapy is well regarded as the best treatment for anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders, even by the National Institute of Mental Health. While medications are recommended for patients who present a danger to themselves or others, people who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety often see the greatest relief from cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. While neither of these practices works overnight, they can be effective. There is one small catch, however. You have to practice them.
So often, patients who have tried a behavioral therapy technique in the midst of a panic attack or anxiety attack find themselves frustrated when it does not relieve the symptoms. The problem, of course, is that the technique has only been tried on a weekly basis in a therapist’s office. These therapies are designed to change your thoughts and behaviors, but in order for them to work, you need to use them whenever the behaviors or thoughts in question arise. No therapy is going to be completely effective the first time you use it, but with practice, there is very strong supporting evidence that therapy can be effective.
Another important thing to realize is that therapy, like any other treatment for anxiety, is not a magic answer. It will not work overnight. While therapeutic techniques, when practiced, can offer a sense of relaxation almost as soon as they are put into practice, it will take a while for new thoughts and behaviors to start making a marked difference in the frequency of your anxiety symptoms and how anxiety affects your life.
Treatment can take months or even years to show full benefit, depending on the severity of your anxiety, your willingness to practice and accept new techniques, and whether or not all areas of your anxiety, including their causes and triggers, are being addressed. No single technique or method works for everyone, and you should realize that it may take some time to find the right therapeutic techniques for you. With dedication and the willingness to work hard for recovery, however, it is possible.