5 Things You Need to Know About Anxiety Treatment

1. Anxiety Treatment Starts With You

Many people who struggle with anxiety don't realize they need help. The first step toward conquering your anxiety is to talk with your family doctor about the symptoms you've been experiencing and what might be causing them. This is an important step because your doctor can tell you if they're caused by an anxiety disorder, an underlying medical condition or just everyday stress. If you're worried about your health enough to talk to your doctor, chances are you're dealing with more than just stress, and he will connect you with the resources you need to pursue further treatment.

2. Explore Relaxation Techniques

The cheapest and simplest treatment for anxiety is relaxation. If you've never taken the time to explore your hobbies and pastimes to find one that really chills you out, make a commitment to your health and find time to try. A relaxation technique can be anything you enjoy that relieves your stress--yoga, running, gardening, volunteering, listening to music, painting and even playing with your kids all count. Finding an activity and sticking with it helps you structure your life and reclaim the energy and enthusiasm you lost to anxiety.

3. Look Into Antidepressants

After visiting with a mental health professional, she might decide to treat your anxiety with medication. Antidepressants are probably the most commonly-prescribed class of drugs for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac and Zoloft work well for panic disorders, social phobia, OCD and PTSD. The tricyclic antidepressants Tofranil and Anafranil also help manage panic disorder and OCD, respectively. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are the oldest kind of antidepressants and carry the biggest risk of side effects, but a few of them are good for treating panic disorder and social phobia.

4. Some Meds are Made Just for Anxiety

In addition to antidepressants, doctors often prescribe drugs made specifically to treat anxiety called antianxiety medications. Brand-name benzodiazepines like Xanax, Ativan and Klonopin are the most popular drugs in this class. Benzodiazepines, or "benzos" for short, are especially effective in managing the intense physical symptoms of social phobia, panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. They are, however, highly addictive if used improperly--taking them in larger amounts or for longer than your doctor prescribes can increase your body's tolerance of them, leading to addiction.

5. Talk It Out With a Counselor

Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, has been proven to be very effective in helping people overcome the fears, worries and obsessive thoughts associated with anxiety disorders. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a popular form of psychotherapy that tries to change the negative ways patients think about and react to stressful situations. This kind of therapy usually lasts for about 12 weeks and can be conducted in one-on-one or group formats, depending on what kind of anxiety you're struggling with. Therapists often treat social phobias, for example, in groups where patients can interact and overcome their fears.