Anxiety Medication – Reasons Doctors Do Not Recommend It

Before an anxiety patient even walks through a therapist’s office door, the therapist has a list of anti anxiety medications ready to help the patient out.

Even though there is a number of medications a person can be prescribed, it is recommended that this not be the only form of treatment the patient gets.

Why should this not be the only form? Most anxiety prescription drugs are habit forming and also very addictive causing more problems for the person later on.

Three classifications of Anti Anxiety Medications –

– Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SSRIs. This type of medication affects a chemical in the brain, which is thought to be associated with anxiety.

* Medications associated with SSRIs – Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro and Sertraline

– Tricyclic Antidepressants or TCAs – These also impact chemicals in the brain.

* Medications associated with TCAs – Adapin, Pamelor, Doxepin and Elavil

– Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors or MAOIs – These type of drugs affects the brain chemistry like SSRIs and TCAs.

* Medications associated with MAOIs – Marplan, Parnate and Nardil

It is generally recommended that long-term use not be done. The medications can be linked to memory loss and other problems.

Therapy Above Medicating – Highly Recommended

Anti anxiety medications can be helpful in treating anxiety disorder and most of its major symptoms when they do appear. Although, this type of treatment is not always best and not always recommended.

The drugs can be addictive and other longtime use of the medication can be bad, so most times doctors will recommend pyschotherapy or any other treatments for patients to use in coping with symptoms that come with anxiety attacks.

Other Anxiety Coping Techniques

Three other alternatives to medication can be used to help in coping with the attack.

– Group or individual therapy

Psychologists and therapists are very adept at teaching people many coping techniques to help with symptoms should they arise. Depending on the disorder depends on what kind of treatment the patient should get.

– Relaxation techniques

Meditation, deep breathing and visualization are also forms of relaxation used to help in coping techniques for anxiety attacks. This can help patients talk themselves out of anxiety situations.

– Facing fears

Some therapy ideas involve having ther person face their fears. Yet this is commonly used for phobias.

The list of medications and therapies used is a great starting tool for physicans and therapists in helping their patients overcome anxiety disorders. With medications, it is not the only resource available. With therapy, it is also not the only form of treatment available.