Which Benzodiazepines Are Used For Anxiety
They can also be used with antidepressants initially while antidepressants take time to work.
“They’re a powerful tool,” says Duckworth, “but you have to be really smart about their use.”
- Light-headedness
- Trouble sleeping
Beta-blockers can be very helpful but in a limited way, says Dr. Salcedo. They are most commonly used for performance anxiety. They are really good for the physical symptoms such as heart racing, sweating, shakiness, but they work less well for the anxious thoughts that might be causing the symptoms.
Additional reporting by Carlene Bauer.
How Should This Medicine Be Used
Escitalopram comes as a tablet and a solution to take by mouth. It is usually taken once a day with or without food. To help you remember to take escitalopram, take it at around the same time every day, in the morning or in the evening. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take escitalopram exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Your doctor may start you on a low dose of escitalopram and increase your dose after 1 week.
It may take 1 to 4 weeks or longer before you feel the full benefit of escitalopram. Continue to take escitalopram even if you feel well. Do not stop taking escitalopram without talking to your doctor. If you suddenly stop taking escitalopram, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as mood changes, irritability, agitation, nausea, dizziness, burning, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet, anxiety, confusion, headache, sweating, tiredness, and difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually.
Managing Stress In Therapy: Case Examples
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Tulsi Or Holy Basil An Adaptogen Herb You Can Take Daily To Help Your Body Respond To Stress
Tulsi, also known as holy basil or the queen of herbs, is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine, and is a member of the mint family.
This plant is a powerful antioxidant. While people have used it for a variety of treatments, its most significant potential might be for stress-relief and relaxation.
People who take it often report that it gives them a calming energy and a general sense of well-being.
Tulsi has also been found to help regulate your blood sugar and support heart health.
In traditional healing systems, people have often taken this herb over a lifetime to increase vibrant health and longevity.
Alternative Treatments To Anxiety Drugs
As mentioned, however, no anxiety drug works perfectly. The truth is that all anxiety medications can cause harm, and none of them help you stop anxiety permanently. You always need to consider an alternative treatment first and absolutely need to make sure that you partner any anxiety medication with a long-term solution.
Alternative treatments include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Therapy is a completely safe and long-term treatment for anxiety, and can provide assistance for every type of anxiety disorder. Remember, not all medications work for all anxiety, but CBT techniques have been developed to permanently reduce any and all anxiety disorders and symptoms.
- Herbal Supplements Herbal supplements are another alternative to anxiety medications. They generally tend to be safe, have no withdrawal symptoms, and can be used as needed. But it must be noted that the most powerful herbal supplements can still have side effects or drug interactions, so before you take herbal supplements you should still talk to your doctor.
- Exercise Exercise is a very real, very effective solution for anxiety, and should be one of the first you try. Studies have shown that exercise can be as powerful or more powerful than some anxiety medications, and of course exercise is healthier for you than any other option available.
If you truly want to find relief from anxiety without medication – or even with medication – you need to base your treatment off of your symptoms.
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What Science Says About Curcumin
Amazingly, curcumin has been found to reverse harmful brain changes induced by chronic stress.
Human studies are also showing its potential to fight stress. A 2016 study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology showed that taking 500 mg of curcumin twice daily, with fenugreek, considerably reduced stress, anxiety, and fatigue while significantly increasing the quality of life in people suffering from extreme occupational stress.
In another 2015 study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, 400 mg of curcumin was given to healthy adults aged 60 to 85. Only one hour after a single dose, participants scored better on tasks requiring sustained attention and working memory. Continuous use for weeks improved scores on working memory and mood, including general fatigue, calmness, and contentedness.
And it can even help with PMS. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 2016 in Neuropeptides, Curcumin was found to reduce anxiety experienced by women with PMS and to significantly reduce PMS-related emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms.
Simple Ways To Relieve Stress And Anxiety
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Stress and anxiety are common experiences for most people. In fact, 70% of adults in the United States say they feel stress or anxiety daily.
Here are 16 simple ways to relieve stress and anxiety.
Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to combat stress.
It might seem contradictory, but putting physical stress on your body through exercise can relieve mental stress.
The benefits are strongest when you exercise regularly. People who exercise regularly are less likely to experience anxiety than those who dont exercise .
There are a few reasons behind this:
- Stress hormones: Exercise lowers your bodys stress hormones such as cortisol in the long run. It also helps release endorphins, which are chemicals that improve your mood and act as natural painkillers.
- Sleep: Exercise can also improve your sleep quality, which can be negatively affected by stress and anxiety.
- Confidence: When you exercise regularly, you may feel more competent and confident in your body, which in turn promotes mental wellbeing.
- Try to find an exercise routine or activity you enjoy, such as walking, dancing, rock climbing or yoga.
Activities such as walking or jogging that involve repetitive movements of large muscle groups can be particularly stress relieving.
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Spend Time With Friends And Family
Social support from friends and family can help you get through stressful times.
Being part of a friend network gives you a sense of belonging and self-worth, which can help you in tough times.
One study found that for women in particular, spending time with friends and children helps release oxytocin, a natural stress reliever. This effect is called tend and befriend, and is the opposite of the fight-or-flight response .
Keep in mind that both men and women benefit from friendship.
Another study found that men and women with the fewest social connections were more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety .
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Having strong social ties may help you get through stressful times and lower your risk of anxiety.
Its hard to feel anxious when youre laughing. Its good for your health, and there are a few ways it may help relieve stress:
- Relieving your stress response.
- Relieving tension by relaxing your muscles.
In the long term, laughter can also help improve your immune system and mood.
A study among people with cancer found that people in the laughter intervention group experienced more stress relief than those who were simply distracted (
Try watching a funny TV show or hanging out with friends who make you laugh.
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Find the humor in everyday life, spend time with funny friends or watch a comedy show to help relieve stress.
Not all stressors are within your control, but some are.
One way to do this may be to say no more often.
How Is Ptsd Treated
- Medicines may decrease anxiety or depression, or help you stay calm and relaxed. Some medicines may help you sleep or reduce nightmares PTSD can cause. Certain other medicines reduce activity between brain chemicals involved in PTSD. These may be used if other medicines or treatments are not effective.
- Therapy may be done in a group or one on one with a therapist. Family and friends are also an important part of recovery.
- Cognitive behavior therapy helps you learn to face the feared object or situation slowly and carefully. You will also learn to control your mental and physical reactions of fear.
- During cognitive processing therapy , a therapist helps you identify which thoughts about the trauma cause anxiety. He or she will help you see the event differently. This may help you learn to change your thoughts and decrease your anxiety.
- During prolonged exposure , a therapist helps you work through thoughts, feelings, and memories about the trauma. A therapist helps you learn how to handle your thoughts and feelings. This can decrease your fear or anxiety.
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What Are The Precautions Of Anxiety Treatments
Before taking or undergoing anxiety treatments, one must be aware of some precautions. First, consult a doctor before taking anxiety treatment medications and find one that suits the condition.
Some anxiety treatment medications cannot be combined with other drugs so one must consult a doctor to check if the medicines one is currently taking will not interfere with the anxiety drug one is about to take. Moreover, some anxiety treatments and medications are not ideal for pregnant women since these meds can be harmful to the baby. One must check for if the medicine she is about to take is safe for pregnant women.
Before taking or undergoing anxiety treatments, one must be aware of the possible side effects. Some anxiety treatment drugs can cause allergies, liver damage, dizziness, decrease in appetite, weight loss, infections blurry vision, constipation, dry mouth, urinary retention.
Suddenly stopping anxiety treatment meds can cause dizziness, agitation, and confusion Dehydrated patients, elder persons or individuals using diuretics may also experience a decrease in blood sodium levels.Those with alcohol problems or liver problems should not take Duloxetine since it can further liver damage.
The drug known as Venlafaxine can cause cholesterol levels to shoot up, but it can also cause one to suffer a loss of appetite and experience a weight drop. Other users can feel a surge in blood pressure, so those with glaucoma should take extra care in taking this drug.
Stress Busters: 4 Integrative Treatments
Nearly half of women report a rise in stress levels over the past five years. And while women and men tend to cope with stress differently, we know that chronic stress contributes to a range of health problems in both sexes, including mental health disorders, heart disease and obesity.
Integrative treatments like meditation and acupuncture can help reduce stress and related problems. These techniques are gaining mainstream acceptance as research demonstrates their positive health effects.
Managing stress calls for addressing the mind as well as the body, since both the brain and body contribute to symptoms.
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Practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation involves relaxing all the muscles in your body, group by group. To practice, you can start with a few deep breaths.
Then, practice tightening and relaxing each muscle group, starting with your forehead and moving down to your toes.
With practice, you’ll learn to recognize tension and tightness in your muscles and you’ll be able to relax more easily. Each time you practice, however, you should experience a feeling of relaxation sweeping through your body.
Smile Like You Mean It
Dont roll your eyes the next time someone advises you to grin and bear it. In times of tension, keeping a smile on your face especially a genuine smile thats formed by the muscles around your eyes as well as your mouth reduces your bodys stress responses, even if you dont feel happy. Smiling also helps lower heart rates faster once your stressful situation ends.
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Drug Dependence And Withdrawal
When taken regularly, benzodiazepines lead to physical dependence and tolerance, with increasingly larger doses needed to get the same anxiety relief as before. This happens quicklyusually within a couple of months, but sometimes in as little as a few weeks.
If you abruptly stop taking your medication, you may experience severe withdrawal symptoms such as:
- Increased anxiety, restlessness, shaking.
- Depression, confusion, panic attacks.
- Pounding heart, sweating, and in severe cases, seizure.
Many people mistake withdrawal symptoms for a return of their original anxiety condition, making them think they need to restart the medication. Gradually tapering off the drug will help minimize the withdrawal reaction.
What Is The Most Important Information I Should Know About Buspirone
You should not use buspirone if you are allergic to it.
Do not use buspirone if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine, and others.
You may need to wait 14 days after stopping buspirone before you can take an MAOI.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had:
- kidney disease or
- liver disease.
Be sure your doctor knows if you also take stimulant medicine, opioid medicine, herbal products, or medicine for depression, mental illness, Parkinson’s disease, migraine headaches, serious infections, or prevention of nausea and vomiting. These medicines may interact with buspirone and cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant.
You should not breastfeed while using buspirone.
Do not give this medicine to a child without medical advice.
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What Science Says About Ashwagandha
Research is now proving the abilities of ashwagandha to ease anxiety and reduce feelings of stress.
In a 2012 study published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, patients were given 300 mg of ashwagandha root extract twice a day for 60 days. What happened? The participants scores of perceived stress dropped by 44% and their levels of the stress hormone cortisol decreased by almost 28%.
Then, in 2014, a systematic review of five controlled studies involving humans found that this herb significantly improved anxiety and stress levels.
Different Medications For Different Anxiety Disorders
One of the issues that comes from recommending a medication is that doctors have found that each medicine works differently on each individual. It starts with determining the disorder you suffer from. What works for generalized anxiety disorder may not work for panic disorder, and what works for panic disorder may not work for obsessive compulsive disorder, and so on.
No one can truly recommend a medication without knowing your own personal history, and you must never take a medication that affects your mental health without a doctor’s supervision.
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Listen To Soothing Music
Listening to music can have a very relaxing effect on the body.
Slow-paced instrumental music can induce the relaxation response by helping lower blood pressure and heart rate as well as stress hormones.
Some types of classical, Celtic, Native American and Indian music can be particularly soothing, but simply listening to the music you enjoy is effective too .
Nature sounds can also be very calming. This is why theyre often incorporated into relaxation and meditation music.
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Anxiety And Addiction Recovery
When taking a potentially addictive drug for anxiety, dual diagnosis can occur. This is when you experience addiction as well as a mood disorder. Its more challenging to treat two disorders so recovery should incorporate a variety of tools. Benzodiazepine use in the United States is prevalent and many are admitted into treatment programs to help them recover. When a patient stops using anti-anxiety medication, they can become more acutely anxious. This is why group therapy and one-on-one therapy is essential. Some may find holistic treatments like meditation will help them find the mental balance in their life. Benzo addiction stories demonstrate that someone with anxiety cant remain on these medications for a long period of time. While on the medication, this is the time to learn how to better manage anxiety. To continue using benzodiazepines or abuse them will only exacerbate the issues youre trying to heal. Professional treatment for benzodiazepines addiction is likely necessary. The withdrawal can be dangerous so medical detox may be necessary.
Given the dangers of anti-anxiety medications its important to discuss all risk factors with your doctor prior to use. If youre struggling with ongoing misuse and abuse, please give us a call today at to discuss possible treatment programs that can aid in overcoming anxiety medication addictions.
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Aurum Met For Stress Causing Pessimism
Aurum Met is indicated medicine for stress in people who have pessimistic thinking about life.The person needing Aurum Met is always unhappy and thinks life is a burden. He/She develops a weariness towards life and feels hopeless. Suicidal thoughts, a longing for death, anger from contradictions, palpitations with sleepiness, and fatigue of the limbs are other symptoms.
