Know The Complications Associated With Anxiety Treatment

There have been wonderful breakthroughs in the treatment of anxiety. There are numerous antidepressants that are used to treat anxiety, and these drugs are safe and nonaddictive. They are called SSRIs, or Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors. Of course, as with most medical treatments, there is a downside.

The downside of antidepressants used to treat anxiety is that they do not work instantly. It can take anywhere from 3-12 weeks for the medication to start having a positive effect, and during this time, many people experience even greater anxiety.

Unfortunately, this causes many anxiety sufferers to discontinue the medication long before it has time to be effective — usually without telling their doctor. Many doctors are now combating this problem by adding a benzodiazepine along with the antidepressant. The benzodiazepine will get immediate control of the anxiety symptoms. However, this is not a safe drug for long-term use. Therefore, when the antidepressant has had time to take effect, the benzodiazepine is discontinued.

There is another complication associated with anxiety. Once medication is used, and has been used long enough to be effective, the patient may think that the problem is resolved. This isn't exactly true. The symptoms have been "cured," but the anxiety problem is still there — quietly waiting.

For this reason, medication isn't enough. You must also seek out cognitive behavior therapy in order to fully defeat the anxiety problem. Counseling will help you to get to the root of the problem, which can then be dealt with effectively. If you fail to seek counseling, you will find that you deal with anxiety issues for the rest of your life — depending on the medication to get you through each day.

So, remember that when it comes to treating anxiety, there are three parts. The first is getting through the period of waiting for the antidepressant to work. The second part is the great part, when the medication is helping you to feel better, and the third part is the counseling that you need so that you can eventually discontinue all medication and get on with your happy, normal life.

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