Treatment of Anxiety Disorders

What is the best way to treat anxiety disorders? After an official diagnosis, usually traditional medication is prescribed by a psychiatrist or specific types of psychotherapy are employed by a licensed therapist. Some doctors will also suggest a combination of both medication and progressive therapy. Who decides the best form of treatment? Usually the condition itself will merit the best form of treatment as suggested by a doctor. But a doctor always remains open to the patient's wishes if they prefer treatment without medication.

Medication is preferred by some as it usually is a quick and effective fix for many anxiety related problems. However, there are side effects to taking powerful medication, the most important being that they prove to be addictive. Other side effects, depending on the type of medication, could include impaired judgment and thinking ability, sexual side effects, withdrawal symptoms and rare instances of disease.

The advantage to psychotherapy is obviously treatment without medication. However, this could process could be longer and arguably more expensive. Both the price of prescription drugs and the price of therapy sessions continue to rise. In the treatment of children, many parents would prefer psychotherapy, as the use of potentially addictive medication at such a young age would be a health risk physically and mentally.

Before any sort of treatment begins, a doctor will conduct an evaluation of the patient. A medical examination will be required to determine if the patient is suffering from a physical problem or exclusively a mental disorder. From there, a questionnaire and or interview follows and the doctor determines what kind of anxiety disorder appears to have developed. In cases where alcohol or substance abuse are apparent, some time will be needed to treat those disorders since no therapy or medication would be very effective while a person is under a strong addiction.

It is also important that people who receive treatment for anxiety disorder, and who stop for some reason, whether for relocation or another circumstance, communicate to their present doctor all of the previous treatment. If certain medications were prescribed and taken or if certain forms of therapy were tried, the new doctor needs to know all of this to determine the next step. Much detail here is needed from the number and regularity of therapy visits to the dosage of the medication and its effects or side effects.

Sufficient time must also be given in therapy or when trying a new medication. Some patients are quick to determine that the treatment is not helping and they might ask to try something new or cease therapy altogether. But it's possible that the treatment has not had sufficient time to work; it's even possible the patient is not administering the medication or therapeutic techniques correctly. Before deciding to try something else, make sure to follow the doctor's directions for the full length of time.

Anxiety disorders can be successfully treated whether through medication or psychotherapy. The worst mistake is in assuming that nothing can help the condition.