Anxiety & Depression Treatment

Lexapro (generic name escitalopram) is used as an oral drug to treat depression as well as GAD or generalized anxiety disorder. The chemical composition of Lexapro is identical to that of citalopram (generic name Celexa). Both Lexapro and Celexa belong to the class of drugs called SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. There are a few other drugs also in this group, such as Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft. Lexapro is a prescription drug, and can be effective in treating anxiety and depression in adults as well as teenagers (generally patients over the age of 12 years).

How It Works

The SSRI drugs act upon the neurotransmitters in the brain. The neurotransmitters are chemicals that act as the messengers that help the nerves used to communicate with each other. The neurotransmitters are created and released by the nerves. These neurotransmitters then move to the other nearby nerves. They attach themselves to the receptors on the nerves. All of these neurotransmitters that are released from a nerve do not bind to receptors. These are then taken up by the nerves that created them. This process where a nerve takes back the neurotransmitter that it creates is referred to as re-uptake. It is believed that imbalances of neurotransmitters caused in this way leads to depression. Lexapro acts by preventing the re-uptake of a serotonin, a particular neurotransmitter. This results in the availability of more serotonin to attach to other receptors. Lexapro was approved by FDA in August 2002

Side Effects

Most of the drugs and medications cause side effects. The side effects do not occur to all patients who use the Lexapro medication. A vast majority of the patients are tolerant to the Lexapro drug. In some cases, minor side effects caused by Lexapro may be seen. Most of them do not require treatment; they disappear on their own. Some of the side effects that Lexapro causes are vomiting, sleeplessness, fatigue and tiredness, sweating, and drowsiness. In pediatric patients, the following side effects have been experienced: body ache and back pain, vomiting, chest and nasal congestion, and rarely urinary infection. Sometimes side effects like constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, instability, loss of hunger and tiredness may be experienced.

Lexapro does not cause fatal or serious side effects in most patients. But if any other side effects other that these are experienced, you need to consult your medical practitioner. Lexapro may sometimes cause confusion, loss of memory, hallucination, irritability, skin problems, unusual bleeding, mood swings and suicidal thoughts.

The safety of Lexapro during pregnancy has not yet been established. It is better not to use the drug during pregnancy. Lexapro is excreted in human milk, and so is not advised in breastfeeding mothers.

Certain side effects may accompany the sudden stoppage of Lexapro. Some of the stopping symptoms are sleeping disorders, nervousness, stomach upset, feeling of shock in the arms and dizziness. These severe stopping side effects can be minimized by the slow weaning off of Lexapro, rather than stopping it suddenly.  The stopping symptoms may be visible from day one to the tenth day of stopping the dose. Though none of these symptoms are life threatening, seek medical help if you experience any of them.

Doctors prescribe benzodiazepines for most of the anxiety disorders. Each medicine in this group follows a different course of action. The specific drug chosen by health professionals to treat a particular kind of anxiety depends on the ailment and medication history of the sufferer and the seriousness of the disease. Klonopin (generic name: clonazepam) is a medication that doctors prescribe for generalized anxiety disorder and social phobia.

How it Works

Klonopin is a prescription medicine and acts on the brain of the patient. The human brain consists of a chemical named gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), and the nerve cells make use of this chemical to communicate with each other (neurotransmitter). GABA inhibits the brain’s activity. Benzodiazepines like Klonopin act on GABA, and try to slow down the signals that the brain sends out. This results in relaxation of the nerves, and thus calming down the brain.

Dosage

The dosage of the Klonopin drug is arrived at, based on the patient’s requirements. When used to treat seizures in adults, the dosage starts at 1.5 mg every day, and is administered two or three times. The dosage may be increased till the seizures are under control. Dosage may be increased by 0.5 to 1 mg once in three days. 20 mg a day is the maximum dosage that can be given. When used to treat panic disorders, the initial dose is 0.25 mg, a couple of times daily.

Side Effects

Like all other benzodiazepines, Klonopin may interact with other medications that slow the brain’s processes. It affects the effects caused by alcohol and narcotics and it also leads to increased sedation. Klonopin and other benzodiazepines may affect the fetal health, and so, pregnant women are not advised to take them, especially during the first trimester. It is deemed better to not use the medication during the entire pregnancy. Though very clear evidence is not yet available, Klonopin may get secreted through breast milk. Hence, if possible, it is better that breastfeeding mothers do not use this medicine.

Minor side effects may be caused by Klonopin. The side effects that occur frequently are sedation, dizziness, weakness, and instability. Sedation is experienced by at least half the patients and at least one-third of them experience dizziness. Klonopin may also bring about depression, lack of coordination, headache, and sleep disorders.

Another side effect that Klonopin can cause is physical dependence. Stopping the use of Klonopin suddenly after regular use might trigger problems. This could cause troubles such as a feeling that self-worth is lost, irritability, and sleeplessness. If Klonopin treatment is stopped after using it continuously for a few months, it may lead to sudden seizures, shivers, cramps in the muscles, vomiting, and profuse sweating (Most of these are similar to symptoms of a panic disorder). So it is advised not to stop the dosage all of a sudden. Rather, you would need to reduce the dosage little by little, so as to not trigger side effects.

There are several natural alternatives available for Klonopin. Researchers have suggested several herbs that help to treat anxiety in the same way as Klonopin. But you should consult with your medical practitioner before using any of them. Chamomile, Kava, Valerian and Passion flower are some herbs that are alternatives to Klonopin.

Depression is the feeling of being sad, blue or anxious for a prolonged time. This feeling can occur for any reason from the past or present time of a person’s life. Sometimes very severe or traumatic incidents happen in life, and that leaves an imprint on person’s mind. Sometimes, these incidents are so terrible that they affect the mind very negatively and people go into a depression.

If you go to any practicing doctor or psychiatrist, they will recommend that you take anti- depressants, sleeping pills, tranquilizers or other drugs. They help you to come out of the trauma, but only for a short period of time. In long run, they can affect a person’s health adversely. In fact, according to new research, mood-altering drugs should be used as a last resort, instead of as a method of treatment.

There are plenty alternative treatments that can be taken in to account before going on medication.  They are also thought to be as or more helpful than medication by different studies. Medicines not only affect the physical health, but also the mental health of a person.

As far as tranquilizers or sleeping pills are concerned, if they are taken for a long time in order to escape from depression, some side effects will probably occur. For example, there is a high risk of a person getting used to the drug, or developing dependence. He might then be unable to sleep without the drugs, and weaning off them is difficult… Dependence on drugs is the first and foremost thing that must be avoided.

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR DEPRESSION

So what are some alternative treatments for depression?

First of all, self-examination is very important if you want to get out of the situation. See what the real reasons are which are causing you to think negatively. List them and talk about them to your peers and family.

Have counseling sessions. They can be with psychiatrists, your best friend, your spouse, or anyone else you can depend on.

Pamper yourself and spoil yourself. Have a soothing and relaxing massage, go for aroma therapy, go to the spa, have a new haircut or get a makeover. Look fresh, and you will feel fresh for sure.

Exercise! It’s often said that exercise is great for physical health, but it’s great for mental health as well.  Give it a try!

Have a proper meal. Get a good diet chart from your dietician that includes vitamins and other important nutrients. Do not starve yourself. Eat properly and eat well!

Try yoga. It is the best exercise that you can have. It will relax your mind and will also make you tension-free.

Enjoy music. Music is also considered good treatment for depression. Music can help you to relax your mind and your body. Listen to soft and classical music. It will relax your nerves.

There is a long list that can be given to do in order to avoid depression. But the important thing is to do what you enjoy. It will help you the most. And remember, life is beautiful, enjoy it!

Ambien, along with generic name zolpidem tartrate extended release tablets are normally used to treat insomnia. The medicine is used only in adults. It is not safe to be administered to children or to teenagers due to the potentially unsafe scenario that it could lead to. This medicine is available only through prescription, and not over the counter. It is used for sleep disorders, and occasionally for anxiety disorders too.

During pregnancy

Studies have been conducted on the effect of Ambien on animals. Studies point out that the drug or medication is not safe to be used during pregnancy. If you are pregnant or trying for a baby, you must check with your physician before taking Ambien. The US FDA has devised a pregnancy category technology to study the risk of administering Ambien to pregnant women. The study results clearly indicate that Ambien might not be safe, as it could cause deformities to the fetus.

Side Effects

The side effects of Ambien may not be experienced by every patient who uses the medicine. Most patients have taken it well. There could be small discomforts and side effects caused by Ambien, but they may not require treatment. Studies point to the fact that about 3.5% of total users have stopped taking Ambien because of the side effects it causes. This indicates that it is advised to start Ambien at very small doses and keep increasing little by little. Most common side effects from Ambien are drowsiness during day time, dizziness and headaches. It could also cause instability, tiredness, depression, hallucination, disorientation, nausea and muscle cramps. The majority of drugs used to treat sleeplessness may cause similar side effects to these, and they do not require any treatment.

Precautions

Very rarely Ambien can result in very severe side effects like short-time memory loss, irritation and anger, violence, or in the worst cases insomnia may come back. So to avoid any of these somber scenarios, it is required you let your physician know of your habits. For instance, if you take alcohol, if you are an addict, if you might have conceived, or if you are nursing, you should let your physician know of it.

The following are some of the precautions to use with Ambien medication:

• There are a number of other medicines that Ambien reacts with.
• Drinkers could develop serious side effects while they use Ambien. So, let your doctor know of your habits.
• Ambien is a Category C medicine, and is not suitable to be taken during pregnancy.
• Ambien is a medicine that can secrete into human breast milk. So, if you are a breast-feeding mother, let your doctor know.
• Do not do any task that requires alertness for a few days after you start Ambien.
• Ambien might cause amnesia, and so it is not advised to travel alone while you take Ambien.
• If your sleep disorder persists even after 10 days of taking Ambien, consult your physician.
• Elderly people are not advised to take Ambien.

Everyone faces some form of anxiety. But when it gets out of control, the symptoms can be quite overwhelming. Once the symptoms of anxiety reach the sufferer’s breaking point, it can no longer be considered simple anxiety. Anxiety in its normal sense should not interfere with a person’s daily life, social life, relationships or career. It should not interfere with your life or your activities, and should not prevent you from living your life the way you’d like. Anxiety can cause disruptions and confusion in your life, leading to serious consequences. The symptoms and effects caused by anxiety disorders may vary from person to person.

The emotional symptoms caused by anxiety can be quite intense. They can start affecting you drastically, if you do not seek help with them. The emotional symptoms of anxiety can include feeling apprehensive, a feeling of unexplainable dread, difficulty concentrating, tension, stress, feeling on edge or jumpy, general pessimism, irritability, restlessness, hyper-alertness, and feeling of going blank as if under constant pressure.

Anxiety may pose a number of physical symptoms as well. Some of these symptoms are profuse sweating, lethargy and fatigue, dizziness, breathlessness or difficulty breathing, sleeplessness, upset stomach, frequent urination, muscle aches, cramps, and headaches. Often, people mistake some of these signs for other ailments as intense as a heart attack. These can be quite frightening at times and may cause problems at work or other relationships.

It is always better to treat your anxiety disorder symptoms as soon as they occur. Otherwise they may become so intense that it becomes difficult to control and relieve the symptoms. A person who suffers from such a disorder may feel the need to avoid tension and stress as much as possible in everyday life. Some may even confine themselves to their homes, as they may find it difficult to carry on with their lives. However, it is not advised to ignore the symptoms of anxiety. Ignoring the symptoms may cause them to grow to the point where the sufferer may find it difficult to breathe or ask for help from others. These panic attacks further increase the anxiety that sufferers face.

There are two ways to treat anxiety. First, it is very important to spend time for oneself. Consider yourself important, and take care of your mental and physical needs. Make time for yourself, even if your life is fast-paced. It is necessary to take on daily meditation and exercises, so that you are relaxed, and have a clear state of mind. Exercises are also very helpful to relieve the tension in the body. Meditation and relaxation in some form should be made a part of your daily routine. Moreover, it is very important to make good friends and seek their support. Your family also ought to spend time with you, and help to alleviate your tension.

If these tips and tricks to carry on with your life have not been helpful, you should certainly seek professional help. These are the cases where medication and psychological help can heal more efficiently and quickly. Medication, as well as behavioral therapy, can help to change your way of thinking and behaving.

Herbalism is an alternative treatment method for anxiety and panic attacks. In this method, herbs cultivated and used to reduce tensions and stress. The most commonly used herbs to bring about relaxation are black cohosh, California poppy, hops, passion flower, hyssop, chamomile, lavender, cramp bark, lime blossom, Jamaican dogwood, rosemary, motherwort, lady’s slipper, skullcap and valerian.  Some of these herbs affect your nervous system directly, soothing it and bringing about quick relief of what ails you. Others work on your muscles and your peripheral nerves together. These herbs help relax the whole body system, both mental and physical.

Homeopathy is another alternative treatment method for anxiety. This treatment method also treats the sufferer’s body and mind as a coordinated unit. Homeopathy makes use of medicines to treat the symptoms associated with anxiety. The medicines help to bring about a sense of well-being and a positive attitude in the patient. The signs associated with panic, such as loss of appetite, sleeplessness, and headache is treated quickly by these medicines.

Massage is yet another alternative treatment for anxiety. Massaging has a host of benefits such as relaxation, reduction in anxiety levels, improved elasticity of tissues and nerves, flexibility in muscles, reduction of body aches and cramps, improvement of blood circulation, better and deeper sleep, improved rate of recovery, better immune system function, muscle relaxation, better skin health, better energy flow in the body, and a general feeling of contentment.

All of us come face-to-face with anxiety at different points of our lives, but, chronic anxiety attacks have a huge impact on the body and bodily functions. The aftermath of anxiety attacks may be aggravated when the body is not properly exercised. A lack of exercise combined with an anxiety attack increases the muscle tension, causes breathlessness, and results in an alert and anxious mind. You can build up your inner strength through yoga, and this strength reduces your fears, frustrations and irritations. It also prepares you better to take on challenges. Yoga includes a host of activities such as exercise, breath control and meditation. Some of these exercises, such as the breathing exercises, may be carried on regularly to improve the rate of relaxation of the body, to provide better sleep and improve concentration levels.

Yoga also brings about improved blood circulation, and thus your body parts begin to feel fresher and nicer. It also brings about a rhythm in breathing. The complete breath exercise in yoga is especially helpful for patients who might feel much stressed out. This breathing exercise can be carried out anytime, anywhere, so that panic attacks no longer affect your body, and can help you remain calm when you face a challenging situation. Your mind is slowly trained during these exercises to shift its focus from stress to other peaceful thoughts.

Meditation can also help to alleviate anxiety and stress. Some people face constant attacks of tension, and feel constantly stressed out. They also feel negative all the time. Perhaps your thoughts, feelings and actions may be overwhelmed with negativity. These negative thoughts may be due to tensions at work, family or finances. Even at such high levels of stress, meditation can help you to empty your mind, giving you peace and rest.

Anxiety and panic attacks can strike anyone at any time. They can tarnish the way you handle your day-to-day life, your social and networking activities and your office life, reducing your self-confidence and pushing you into a shell. Panic and anxiety can happen to anyone, but many are still not aware that effective and efficient treatment is currently available to overcome anxiety.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and phobias are the most common forms of anxiety problems. Any of these disorders can develop at any time, without sending out any warning signs or alarms, and set your life off track. To seek the best available treatment for anxiety, it is essential that you are aware of the causes and symptoms of it.

Anxiety is brought about by a sudden trigger, and then the trigger affects the person’s emotions and body. There may be several causes that lead to the trigger, and these causes may be different for different people. Illness, problems at work, financial problems, family issues and relationship problems are some of the triggers that can eventually lead to anxiety attacks.

Treatment of anxiety disorders primarily focuses on identifying the trigger or the cause that leads to the disorder, and then either removing it, if possible, or preparing to you to deal with it effectively. Only when the cause or the source is identified can the disorder be cured. For instance, if you have an illness or medical condition, you must first cure the illness and then start treating anxiety that goes along with it. Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication like Benzodiazepines and selective Serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are normally used to cure anxiety. However, medication can be successful only when you have identified the trigger causing the disorder. Also, medication may trigger other side effects. These medicines may not be available over the counter, and you often need a doctor’s prescription to get them.

Treatment of anxiety also includes alternative treatments, consisting of herbs or herbal products. Alternative treatments are very common among the Chinese and native tribes, and have been in use for several thousands of years. These herbs have been in use by people who do not find prescribed medication to be effective. Several scientists have been studying alternative methods to cure anxiety disorders, and they have found these methods to be as effective as the medications when used to cure disorders. Moreover, alternative treatments offer the advantage of not having any side effects.

Relaxation techniques have also been used as ways to cure anxiety. Techniques such as Taiqi and QiGong are practiced to relax your mind and restore health. These techniques also help to maintain the chemical balance of the body, and keep your mind in control. Doctors prescribe a 30-minute long regular exercise session to anxiety disorder patients, as it helps to reduce panic, and keeps anxiety at bay. Behavioral or psychological methods to combat anxiety may also be used alone or in combination with medication. Though there are several methods to treat anxiety, the best way is to make use of a combination of the different methods, to ensure that the sickness does not make a comeback.

Most human beings face anxiety sometime in their lives. For some, it is the increase in heart rate before public speaking or an exam, and for some others it is the feeling of having “butterflies” in their stomach. Problems in the work place, school, family, and relationships all cause anxiety in us. It might be an anxiety disorder, if any or all of these stressors in your everyday life keep you from leading a normal life. There isn’t any reason to panic; there are effective treatment methods and self-help techniques available to help you overcome your anxiety disorder, and get more control over your life.

Stressful scenarios do have an impact on all of us, but, anxiety disorders are much more than that. Here are some of the common symptoms of an anxiety disorder:

• Feeling constantly tense, worried or on-the-edge
• Unable to carry out the normal responsibilities at the work-place or at home due to anxiety
• Strongly affected by unreasonable fears
• Strong feelings that there’s only one way of doing things, and doing things differently is unpardonable
• Hiding from everyday situations and scenarios that could possibly cause anxiety or stress
• Sudden and unexplainable increased heart rate.

However, the severity of these symptoms may vary between persons.  Similarly, the situations that cause anxiety may be different in different people. For some, it may strike in a particular situation, where as some others may get fearful, uncontrolled thoughts that trigger them; others fret over anything and everything they encounter in their everyday lives.

General anxiety disorder symptoms may be further classified into emotional symptoms and physical symptoms. Nervousness, lack of concentration, [pessimism, bad temper, impatience, cautiousness, and tension are some of the emotional symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety brings about a few physical changes as well, such as increase in heart rate, profuse sweating, dizziness, lethargy, frequent urination, difficulty breathing, muscular spasms, headache, nausea and sleeplessness.

There are six main kinds of anxiety disorders; generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder.  Some of these disorders can be treated completely, and within a short duration of time. The treatment depends on the type of disorder and its severity.

Treatment for anxiety usually includes behavioral therapy and/or medication. Behavioral therapy takes approximately 10 to 20 sessions on a weekly basis, and includes two types: cognitive-behavior therapy and exposure therapy. The former works on your thoughts and actions, and helps reduce the negative and illogical thoughts that cause anxiety. Exposure therapy helps to build a safe environment where you can open up about your feelings, and over time gain control over your emotions and fears.

Medication for anxiety includes benzodiazepines and antidepressants, along with several other medicines, depending on the type of disorder present. However, the best option is a combination of medication and behavioral therapy as it poses a lower risk of relapse. The dosage and medication period depend on the type of anxiety disorder being treated and its severity.

There are alternative treatments available to treat anxiety, and they are used as complements to medication and behavioral therapy. Some of the treatment methods that are often practiced are exercise, methods of relaxation, making use of biofeedback systems and hypnosis.