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Anxiety is the most common mental health problem among Americans, while it is affecting 264 million people worldwide. Anxiety is referred to as a feeling of worry, nervousness, fear, and panic. These people are not able to handle the stressful situation calmly and get out of control in their behaviour. They experience a surge of emotions that often lead to discomfort, range fear, and other kinds of feelings. Not only that, anxiety affects the people themselves, but it also affects their parents, siblings, spouses, and even kids. Hence, it is necessary to treat anxiety to have a happy and healthy home. It is their duty to stop the chain of anxiety and other mental health conditions before they pass on to the next generation.
In this article, we will see how you can manage the feelings of anxiety with different kinds of therapies and medication. Moreover, a trusted and reliable behavioral therapist can help you in treating anxiety and living a fulfilled life.
What are Some Anxiety Disorders?
Here are some common anxiety disorders:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Social anxiety disorder (SAD)
- Separation anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Agoraphobia
Treatments for Anxiety Disorders
There are two common treatments for anxiety, which include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and medications for anxiety. In this section, we will review both of them.
CBT for Anxiety
CBT for anxiety is a Cognitive Behavioral therapy that helps people with their thinking abilities and behavioral patterns. It is a fact that our thinking and behaviors are connected with each other, so if we try to change our thinking patterns and shift them towards positivity, it is more likely to happen that our behavioral patterns will also change. With this idea, CBT offers an effective treatment against various mental health problems. It is useful for people who want a short-term solution to their anxiety as it only lasts 10-15 sessions. CBT offers various benefits such as:
Reduces the symptoms of Anxiety
First of all, the major benefit of CBT is that it manages and reduces the symptoms of anxiety. Various studies have shown that with a change in thinking patterns, the symptoms of anxiety reduce.
Promote emotional and mental well-being
CBT promotes the emotional and mental well-being of adults who have symptoms of fatigue, depression, anxiety, and physical functioning.
Alter negative thinking patterns
Negative thinking is the major cause of anxiety, and by changing this, we can channel the symptoms of anxiety. So, the major pros of CBT are to alter negative thinking with logical thinking.
Medication for Anxiety
The people who do not take comfort in receiving CBT prefer medication for their anxiety symptoms. Anti-anxiety medications have two major categories. Benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines include Xanax, Valium, and Ativan drugs and work quickly to relieve anxiety, while non-benzodiazepines include Effexor and Buspar, and offer short-term treatment. There are various benefits of medication for anxiety, such as:
- It provides relief from anxiety
- It can fit your needs and does not cause side effects
- Insurance plans cover medication costs for anxiety.
The Combined Approach
While both treatments do wonders, many people benefit from the combined approach, which means that they take medications and CBT sessions side by side. As medication helps them control their mood, while CBT keeps anxiety from recurring, and helps them solve their problems effectively.
Bottom Line
The article has outlined two major treatments for anxiety, such as CBT and medications. Both have their own pros and cons, but CBT is the most effective approach as it has the potential to change your thinking patterns. With the change in thinking patterns, you are less likely to suffer from anxiety in the future; however, for medications, you have to take them with the proper consultation and recommendations. But the combined approach usually works best for all adults.