Anti-Anxiety Medications

A person who has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and wants to learn how to stop anxiety attacks is typically given an option of several different types of treatment. Some of these may include anti-anxiety medication, anti-depressants and therapy. As with any type of disorder treatment, there are pros and cons. Let's examine what you may expect with these three treatment options.

Anti-Anxiety Medications

Xanax and Klonopin are the most commonly prescribed anti- anxiety medications on the market today. These replace some of the more harmful anti-anxiety drugs of the past such as Valium and barbituates. Even with fewer side effects associated with use, the new class of medicines still may cause more harm than good. They are generally safe to use on a short term basis to help calm a sufferer and relieve the anxiety for the moment.

Long term use of anti-anxiety medication can pose a problem of dependence. A patient taking Xanax, for example, will build a tolerance to the drug over time and suffer severe withdrawal when the medicine is stopped. Some of the symptoms of this withdrawal can be quite severe, including psychosis and even death. If you think the anxiety attack is bad - just wait until you start withdrawal. Doctors can help with the weaning process to reduce the withdrawal effects but a patient needs to be informed and make a decision if this type of medicine, and the side-effects associated with it, are something they want to risk. If anti-anxiety medications are part of your treatment plan, use them sparingly and avoid developing a dependency on them. If you are taking more than prescribed, talk to your doctor about a withdrawal program.

Anti-Depressants

Most anti-depressants today are used in combination with an anti-anxiety medication such as Xanax. In learning how to stop anxiety attacks, the patient learns that anxiety rarely travels alone. It is usually accompanied by or even caused by depression. Anxiety can be a very disabling illness if not treated. So can depression. This is why most doctors will want to treat the cause of the anxiety rather than just the symptoms.

Todays leading edge anti-depressant medications are called SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and include such well-known brands as Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac and Wellbutrin. However, just like the anti-anxiety drugs, these type of anti-depressants have a host of possible side effects. These may include mouth dryness, drowsiness, increased depression and thoughts of suicide. It is interesting that these types of medications frequently produce in the patient the exact symptoms that the patient is trying to relieve with the medicine. As a patient begins treatment with anti-depressants, it usually takes about 2-3 weeks for the drug to build to an effective level in the blood.

Some of the long term side effects of both anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication require a regular monitoring of blood work to check for liver and kidney impairment as a result of the medications. For most healthy people, the taking of the recommended dosage of these medications is safe and will help with short term control of depression and anxiety. However, these medicines, especially the anti- depressants take a period of time, possibly a few weeks, to begin working effectively. This has caused many patients to stop taking the medicine because they feel it isn't working A patient should not try to withdraw from these medications without the advice and supervision of a doctor.

Therapy

To really get to the root of the problem and learn to treat anxiety attacks, therapy can be a very effective tool. While someone who is suffering from anxiety will often focus on something insignificant, this is not usually the cause of the anxiety. Therapy is a great way to get to the heart of the matter. The problem is that it is not the instant cure that everyone these days wants. But in the long run, therapy can do wonders in helping to relieve your anxiety as well as your depression.

In conclusion, we see there are ways to stop anxiety attacks. We have only looked at a few of the treatment options and there are many more. Each of the ones we discussed had some good and bad to them, as do all. This is why it is so important to seek good information before starting any type of anxiety treatment.

Anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are typically found in young adults between the ages of 20 to 30, but also found in young children. The feeling of anxiety is created for some people due to experiencing multiple upsetting situations that cause stress. After a severe case of depression anxiety may become an issue.


Many researchers have come to the conclusion that genetics may play an important factor, and their studies have indicated that 25% of patients who suffer from anxiety disorders have a close family relative with closely-related symptoms.


Some people who suffer from an anxiety disorder may experience repeated "panic attacks." These attacks produce the feeling of intense fear and create a number of physical problems such as dizziness, shortness of breath, increase in heart rate, and nausea. People may believe that they are losing control of their minds, that they are dying and expect nothing but doom.


A person that suffers from anxiety attacks have their lives greatly affected and the way that they perform their day to day tasks. Somebody that suffers from anxiety disorders could spend their time worrying when they will have their next attack. They may develop phobias that never existed before, such as fear of crowds, the outdoors, or any other public location where an attack could occur. In the most severe cases of anxiety disorders, people are too afraid or embarrassed to even leave their homes.


Anxiety disorders have a way of trying to steal away important life experiences from people. If you are experiencing an anxiety disorder, or if someone that is close to you experiences anxiety disorders, there are people and information that can help. Do not ever try to help the problem with self-medication, it will make the situation worse.


Anxiety disorders require the help of professionally designed program that understands the nature of the internal conflicts that a person may be dealing with.



Anxiety disorders are typically found in young adults between the ages of 20 to 30, but also found in young children. The feeling of anxiety is created for some people due to experiencing multiple upsetting situations that cause stress. After a severe case of depression anxiety may become an issue.


Many researchers have come to the conclusion that genetics may play an important factor, and their studies have indicated that 25% of patients who suffer from anxiety disorders have a close family relative with closely-related symptoms.


Some people who suffer from an anxiety disorder may experience repeated "panic attacks." These attacks produce the feeling of intense fear and create a number of physical problems such as dizziness, shortness of breath, increase in heart rate, and nausea. People may believe that they are losing control of their minds, that they are dying and expect nothing but doom.


A person that suffers from anxiety attacks have their lives greatly affected and the way that they perform their day to day tasks. Somebody that suffers from anxiety disorders could spend their time worrying when they will have their next attack. They may develop phobias that never existed before, such as fear of crowds, the outdoors, or any other public location where an attack could occur. In the most severe cases of anxiety disorders, people are too afraid or embarrassed to even leave their homes.


Anxiety disorders have a way of trying to steal away important life experiences from people. If you are experiencing an anxiety disorder, or if someone that is close to you experiences anxiety disorders, there are people and information that can help. Do not ever try to help the problem with self-medication, it will make the situation worse.


Anxiety disorders require the help of professionally designed program that deals with the nature of the internal conflicts that a person may be dealing with.

Panic Attack Symptoms

Many people who get panic attacks feel like their life is basically over. They feel out of control and possibly even like they are dying. If that is how you feel, you might seriously doubt there is any way you can stop panic attacks from happening. Fortunately, if you have the right methods, you CAN control panic attacks or even eliminate it and live your life again. Put your doubt aside right now, and grasp onto this hope.

The first thing you need to do is take stock of your symptoms. People suffer from different symptoms, and your treatment plan might differ depending on the ones who you are dealing with. If you are seeking the advice of a doctor, you should tell your doctor what symptoms you are experiencing so they can help you end your panic attacks.

After you have evaluated your symptoms, you need to do some research. Research what works for other people by joining forums that discuss anxiety and panic attacks. You definitely don't want to focus on negative threads -- focus on positive threads where people have found their answer. There are tons of people who have successfully banished their panic for good and it can be motivating for you to read their stories.

It's also a good idea to read books and e-books written by people who have been in your situation. There are many great techniques out there that have worked for thousands of people. By reading about these methods, you can further perfect your own personalized plan to end your panic attacks. Some of these techniques are even downloadable, which is important when you need this information as soon as possible.

Another thing you might want to do is join a support group. Knowing that there are other people going through the same thing can actually help you get through it all. You feel like you're not alone and that you're not going crazy -- this is a true disorder that you can end with some effort.

At this point, you probably have a good grasp on what your symptoms are as well as different methods you can try to control panic attacks or eliminate it altogether. Not all the methods will work for you, so you need to read through them and find the ones that will! After you've done that, it's time to create a plan for getting rid of your panic attacks. Take note of what you can do in the short term as well as the long-term so you can start to feel better.

One anonymous sufferer of panic attack symptoms recalled: "One Sunday night, after a long anxiety filled weekend, I lay in bed thinking. My thoughts started racing and I began worrying that I was going crazy. Was I going to freak out? Lose control? Would my thoughts get away from me and never return? Would I have to be committed, losing my children, my husband and myself? How scary would that be?"

She goes on to say how her thoughts turned into a horrible panic attack, where she was unable to catch her breath, and even Xanax couldn't help. A new job, the death of her grandfather and agoraphobia (fear of outdoors) were weighing on this poor woman. After unsuccessfully trying Xanax and Effexor, she finally found a winning panic attack treatment with Paxil.

Panic attack symptoms are twofold, with one part being physical and the other being part mental. Physically, research using magnetic resonance imaging of the brain suggests that the amygdala (the brain's "fear center") is highly sensitive to unfamiliar situations in people who have a panic attack disorder.

This region of the brain regulates fear, memory and emotions, and also coordinates heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. Additionally, patients also have an imbalance in message-transmitting brain chemicals, like gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), serotonin, dopamine, and epinephrine. There are also studies which suggest up to 50% of those with a panic attack disorder have family members who also have had panic attacks.

Despite the physical maladies, people with a panic attack disorder often say the mental symptoms are the worst part of the whole episode. Sufferers note feeling intense dread, feeling as though they are losing control or dying.

They feel tense, jumpy, unable to concentrate, restless, helpless and they begin to anticipate the worst case scenarios. Patients may have suicidal thoughts and fears that they are not truly loved, that others will think they are crazy, that they may never be the same again or that they may die.

There is no reason to suffer through panic attack symptoms time and time again. Often the symptoms can get worse if no steps are taken to correct the situation. For some people, self-education through reading, combined with exercise, a balanced diet, meditation and deep breathing is all it takes.

For others, their treatment may involve attending 10 to 12 week sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is half covered by most medical insurance companies. The most severe panic attack sufferers may need to take panic attack medication like antidepressants, anti-psychotics or mild sedatives to help deal with the severe and sudden symptoms initially.