Dealing With Severe Anxiety Disorder Symptoms of anxiety often interfere with the daily routine It is essential to seek treatment and get relief Traumas, including physical or emotional abuse, or neglect, can lead to an increase in your anxiety Certain life circumstances such as chronic health conditions and stressful situations, can also increase your risk of anxiety Psychotherapy also known as counseling helps you to change negative thought patterns that create troublesome feelings The most common kind of psychotherapy that is used to combat anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy Medicines For many people, medication can be a good option to help alleviate symptoms as well as lifestyle changes There isn't a one-size-fits-all medication that works for all people, so it's vital to determine which one is best for you Your MDVIP provider will discuss your anxiety-related symptoms as well as your medical history, and goals with you to determine the best treatment option for you Benzodiazepines are quick to target the gamma aminobutyric GABA acid in your brain They aid in calming your brain's overexcited and promote calm They are usually prescribed for short-term usage, for instance, when panic attacks or other overwhelming anxiety occurs Examples include Xanax alprazolam, Klonopin clonazepam and Valium diazepam Antidepressants can be used to treat depression and anxiety disorders They work by regulating the levels of chemicals in your brain--or neurotransmitters--like serotonin and norepinephrine These medications are used to treat anxiety disorders of all kinds, but more often GAD, PDA, and SAD Another type of antidepressant, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs, may also be prescribed to treat anxiety They are usually prescribed for mild to moderate anxiety disorders and have been proven to be effective in random controlled studies You may need an additional medication to treat a severe anxiety disorder It could be an SSRI or tricyclic These are typically reserved for patients who haven't responded to other treatments, and a patient should be closely checked for depression or sedation as an unwanted side result If you can't find relief from an SSRI or an SNRI, your doctor might try adding a monoamine oxidase A inhibitor They are usually prescribed when other treatments have failed and they can be very helpful in reducing symptoms of SAD Examples include quetiapine, and agomelatine Be aware that a medication is not an answer to your problem It should only be taken under the supervision of a medical professional Always discuss with your doctor the risks and benefits of any medication This includes the possibility of side effects In your initial visit, it's also important to ask about follow-up visits and appointment times The anxiety can get worse over time, and routine visits to your doctor are key to managing anxiety symptoms in the long run Counseling Talk therapy or psychotherapy is an important component of treatment for anxiety disorders A trained therapist can teach you ways to alter negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors that are contributing to your symptoms There are a variety of psychotherapy, including cognitive-behavioral therapy CBT This approach has been thoroughly researched and is the gold standard for treating anxiety disorders Your therapist might suggest additional treatments, such as mindfulness-based acceptance and commitment therapy, or exposure therapy Cognitive therapy focuses on the negative thought patterns that contribute to your anxiety It teaches you how to confront these negative thoughts and replace them by more realistic positive thoughts These thought patterns are often acquired through childhood experiences and can be difficult to change on your own If your symptoms are severe they could hinder your daily activities and make it difficult to work or engage in social activities Your therapist will evaluate how often you have anxiety symptoms, as well as how long they last and how severe they are They will also assess for any other mental issues that may be causing the symptoms, such a addiction or depression Talk therapy sessions are generally conducted face-to-face with a health professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist Your therapist can observe your facial expressions and body language to better comprehend your reactions to certain situations This will help determine whether the symptoms you are experiencing are the result of a specific cause such as stress that persists or traumatic experiences Anxiety can be a problem for everyone Finding the right diagnosis and beginning an appropriate treatment plan can help alleviate your symptoms and enhance your level of living Be aware that conquering an anxiety disorder requires time and dedication but it's worth the effort in the long run Establishing a strong support system and implementing healthy lifestyle practices and implementing relaxation techniques are all important components of your anxiety disorder treatment plan As you practice these techniques, they will improve their effectiveness Exposure Therapy When you have fears or phobias, you may associate certain things or situations with negative consequences In order to end this association and stop avoiding situations that cause anxiety, your mental health professional may employ exposure therapy This is a method of the exposure of you to anxiety-inducing objects or situations for a controlled period of time, in a safe environment As time passes, this allows you realize that the thing or circumstance isn't really dangerous and that you are able to deal with it Gradually your counselor will introduce you more challenging situations or items This is referred to as "graded-exposure" In the first session, for instance, if your therapist is aware that you are afraid of snakes they will show you pictures of them In subsequent sessions, you will be asked to look at an image of a venomous snake in glass before interacting with an actual snake Some people find this kind of exposure uncomfortable, so the therapist will employ interoceptive or tactile exposure This is the process of deliberately triggering physical sensations that arise in anxiety, like shaking or a pounding heart, and teaching you that although these sensations may be uncomfortable they aren't harmful It is important to work with someone who has experience and training in this kind of therapy If you don't, you'll end up avoiding the things that cause anxiety, which can actually make your symptoms worse Instead, your therapist will help you overcome the fears and anxieties that hinder you from living your life to its fullest Your therapist may also use cognitive behavioral treatment to address the root belief that causes your anxiety For example, if you think that your anxiety is an indicator of weakness, they'll help you identify and challenge these assumptions Your therapist will also teach you breathing and relaxation techniques, and other strategies to manage the negative impact that these thoughts can have on your life They will also provide you with information about the physiology behind the fight or flight response and how it is inappropriately activated in anxiety disorders Mindfulness Mindfulness is a practice of contemplation that has been practiced for thousands of years that promotes an openness to any experience, even the unpleasant ones Anyone can practice it It is not a religion nor a secular belief system Though mindfulness is often tied to Buddhism but many of the most prominent practitioners point out that the technique has roots in ancient contemplative traditions Studies have shown mindfulness meditation can improve mood and self-regulation as well as the ability to recognize and respond to abnormal patterns It has been shown that mindfulness meditation can change the brain's structure and function, which is involved in emotion processing These changes are associated with decreased activity in the Default Mode Network, which is implicated in the aetiology and causes of anxiety The most popular secular mindfulness programs are Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction MBSR and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy MBCT These types of clinical interventions typically involve eight sessions per week, which last between two and three hours More recent research has focused on shorter, less intense mindfulness training These short-term interventions can be taught by a trained therapist without the aid of a meditation teacher or group leader The latest research has found that short mindfulness-based classes can have immediate effects on ruminative thought processes Particularly, short mindfulness sessions can reduce arousal and cut down on the duration of ruminative thoughts This research supports the notion that mindfulness training can aid in the treatment of GAD In addition to its direct effects on emotional reactivity as well as control of attention The study has found that mindfulness can help to decrease depression and boost positive mood and well-being This is due to the effect of mindfulness on negative thinking patterns, and the reduction of symptoms like thoughts of shaming and rumination A small study conducted at the University of Waterloo found that 10 minutes of mindfulness can help to break the ruminative thinking patterns that trigger anxiety In the study, 82 anxiety-prone participants were required to complete a task on a computer that was interrupted constantly https//wwwiampsychiatrycom/anxiety-disorders of the participants spent 10 minutes listening to a meditation track while the other half read an audio book The study results showed that the participants in the mindfulness audio group had significantly lower anxiety levels than those in the other groups This suggests that mindfulness-based training can be used to treat GAD However, more research is needed to determine the specific techniques that are effective Future studies should also evaluate the effects of mindfulness-based training with other psychotherapeutic treatments