- November 30, 2022
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry
Anxiety Medication: 5 Benefits You Should Know About
Did you know that over 40 million Americans have a form of anxiety? That’s nearly 20% of the entire population! Anxiety is a common condition that can significantly impact your quality of life.
Medication is the key to a better quality of life for many people. There are a lot of benefits to anxiety medication that you should be aware of before making a decision. These five benefits are just the beginning. There are countless other ways they can make a positive impact on your life.
Relief From Anxiety Symptoms
This is the most obvious benefit of anxiety medication. Medication can help relieve some of the symptoms impacting your life if you’re dealing with anxiety.
Some of the most common symptoms that medication can help with include:
• Excessive worry and rumination
• Irritability or anger
• Feeling tense or on edge
• Difficulty concentrating or focusing
• Feeling like you’re constantly “running on fumes”
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep; or restless, interrupted sleep
• A pounding heart or racing thoughts
• Nausea, dizziness, and lightheadedness
• Physical symptoms such as trembling, sweating, and muscle tension
Most anxiety medications block receptors in the brain that soak up serotonin, allowing more serotonin to circulate freely. This helps calm the nervous system and alleviate symptoms of anxiety.
Improved Sleep
One of the most common complaints of people with anxiety is their struggle to sleep. This can lead to a spiral of stress and fatigue.
Anxiety can lead to the increased stress hormone cortisol, which has been shown to disrupt sleep. That’s why people with anxiety often have trouble falling or staying asleep and may wake up feeling tired and unrested.
There is also some evidence that suggests that anxiety and poor sleep may feed into each other. People who have trouble sleeping may start to feel more anxious, and anxious people may begin to have more difficulty sleeping. Medication can help you break that cycle and get the rest you need.
Better Focus and Concentration
Anxiety can make it difficult to focus on anything else. Anxiety can lead to an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed or out of control.
This distraction can make it difficult to focus on anything else. When people are anxious, they are often in a “fight or flight” mode, which diverts energy away from the brain and towards other body parts needed for survival. This can also lead to difficulty concentrating.
Many people who experience anxiety also have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or another type of anxiety disorder, which can further disrupt their ability to focus on tasks.
When someone takes meds for their anxiety, it suppresses the production of cortisol. This allows them to focus better and concentrate on the tasks at hand.
Increased Energy
Many people with anxiety disorders experience fatigue and low energy. This is because anxiety takes an enormous toll on the body’s nervous system.
Medication can help you combat that fatigue and have more energy to live your life. Anxiety medications can help increase energy levels by restoring balance to the body. They work by helping to reduce the number of stress hormones produced, which in turn allows the body to rest and recharge.
Some anxiety medications also have stimulant properties, which can help improve energy levels quickly.
Reduced Stress
Stress is a common trigger for anxiety attacks. And anxiety attacks can lead to more stress. This can create a vicious cycle that is difficult to break out of.
An anxiety attack is a sudden, intense experience of fear or apprehension. It’s common to feel a racing heart, shortness of breath, and feelings of panic during an anxiety attack. Anxiety attacks usually peak within 10 minutes but can last for hours.
Anxiety medication can help to restore balance to the brain and reduce the frequency and severity of anxiety attacks.
Combine Anxiety Medication With Other Treatments
Medication is often the first step in getting you to a foundational place where other treatments will be more effective.
Anxiety medication can help to stabilize your mood and give you the energy and focus you need to participate in other forms of treatment, such as therapy. And that’s one of the biggest benefits of all!
Therapy
Therapy can help you understand the root causes of your anxiety and develop healthy coping mechanisms. It can also provide you with support and guidance as you work to manage your anxious feelings.
Since meds help reduce anxiety symptoms, it’s easier for people to focus on their therapy sessions and address the underlying issues causing their anxiety.
Therapy can also provide people with support and guidance as they learn how to cope with their anxiety. This includes knowing how to deal with stressful situations, challenging negative thoughts and emotions, and developing healthy coping mechanisms.
It also helps people build self-confidence and better understand themselves. This can be valuable for anyone struggling with anxiety, as it can help them feel more in control of their lives.
Lifestyle Changes
Other lifestyle changes, such as exercise, relaxation techniques, and healthy eating, can also help to reduce anxiety. Many people find that a combination of these things works best for them.
For example, someone may take anxiety medication to help with anxiety symptoms and then participate in therapy to address the underlying causes. They may also make lifestyle changes, such as exercising more often, to help reduce their anxiety.
Making even small lifestyle changes can have a significant impact on anxiety. And when combined with medication and therapy, the results can be even more impressive.
Treatment for Anxiety in Teaneck, NJ
These are just a few of the benefits that anxiety medication can provide. If you’re struggling with anxiety, don’t hesitate to seek help. Anxiety medication could be the key to helping you feel better and live a fuller life.
When combined with medication, these other treatments can be even more effective. It could be the best decision you ever make.
Here at the Center for Developmental Psychiatry, we provide a combination of psychotherapy and medication to ensure the best results for our patients. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you or your loved one with anxiety.