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.
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.
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