If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, you may feel a little lost about what comes next and how an anxiety disorder can be treated. There are many ways in which someone suffering from an anxiety disorder can be supported in order to overcome their anxieties, whether they choose medication, therapy, or both. Below are the most common routes your doctor will recommend.
Self-Help
If you have been newly diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, your doctor may ask you to try and use a couple of self-help techniques to try and determine the cause of your anxiety and take back control. This may seem like an impossible task, but taking control in any way you can is the first step to taking back control of your life. Exercising regularly can help release those good endorphins, known to make us less anxious. There are many apps around mindfulness and taking some time out of each day to process thoughts and feelings and learn to relax. Take your time and remember, you aren’t expected to be better overnight, anxiety takes time to overcome. Smoking and drinking can also worsen anxiety levels so it may be best to cut them out completely or cut down where possible.
Therapies
There are different therapies that can be offered to you depending on what you feel most comfortable with. If you feel up to it, group therapy is a great way to show you that you are not suffering alone and also learn how others cope with, and overcome their anxieties. We are all different, but seeing that we suffer the same thing can give us strength to stand together, talk about it and overcome it together. If you’d prefer to talk about the roots of your anxieties with a trusted professional, you may want to talk to a counselor or psychiatrist. Either way, addressing the issue is the first step into recovery and regaining control of your anxieties.
Medication
This is usually one of the last alternatives offered if all other treatments have failed to help. You may need a mixture of one, two, or all three treatments to overcome your anxiety; we are all different and you do not need to be worried about taking medication. Xanax is one of the most common types of psychiatric drugs although it can be very helpful in helping to treat anxiety disorders, it can become addictive. If you believe you or a loved one have become addicted to this or another anxiety disorder medication, talk to your doctor or a substance abuse center.
Remember, you are not alone in facing an anxiety disorder and there is help out there for anyone. The first step on the road to recovery is asking for help; you do not have to try and overcome your anxieties alone.
