According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 40 million adults each year are affected by anxiety disorders. Symptoms of anxiety present themselves during public speeches or when meeting new people, and are completely normal. When anxiety interferes with daily living, finding solutions for anxiety becomes imperative.
Medication
Prescription medications to treat anxiety include antidepressants---buspirone and benzodiazepines. Antidepressants affect the activity of chemicals in the brain, blocking re-absorption of serotonin. Antidepressants work relatively slowly and may take four to six weeks to reach maximum effectiveness. Buspirone, a medication specifically used to treat anxiety, may take up to two weeks before reaching full effectiveness. Buspirone may cause side effects that include insomnia, nervousness, light-headedness, upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea and headaches. Benzodiazepines reduce anxiety and act as a sedative. Benzodiazepines work quickly but may cause dependency and side effects such as drowsiness, constipation and nausea.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy involves meeting with a therapist, who will treat anxiety through talk therapy and psychological counseling. Psychotherapy explores stressors that cause anxiety, focusing on making changes to behavior that reduce feelings of anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy is often used to treat anxiety and, according to the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Psychiatry, has been shown to effectively reduce symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The first focus of cognitive behavioral therapy explores the thoughts that produce feelings of anxiety. Through exploration of these thoughts, the therapist attempts to show that the thoughts are baseless and the cause of distress.
The second focus of cognitive behavioral therapy involves a therapeutic process called exposure. Presentation of real world or imagined situations that provoke anxiety and have been avoided in the past attempt to show patients that while such situations cause anxiety in the beginning of exposure, anxiety decreases over time. Eventually, situations that once caused anxiety no longer produce anxious reactions.
In addition to exploring the underlying stressors causing anxiety and exposure therapy, therapists using a cognitive behavioral approach may also teach breathing and relaxation exercises. Breathing and relaxation exercises may help reduce symptoms of anxiety and serve as a useful tool for avoiding panic in anxiety-inducing situations.
Alternative Therapies
A healthy lifestyle involving exercise and the maintenance of a healthy diet helps reduce anxiety. Routine exercise reduces stress, improving your mood and helping with mind and body health. A healthy diet free of alcohol and caffeine, which increase restlessness, helps reduce anxiety by stabilizing blood sugar and reducing irritability caused by low blood sugar.
Several herbal remedies have been used for years to treat anxiety. However, herbs may cause side effects and interact with other medications. If you take other medications, take herbs only with the supervision of a medical professional. Herbs and alternative treatments believed to treat anxiety disorders include valerian, passionflower, kava-kava, ginger, chamomile and licorice.
