Adult GAD Treatment Options

Anxiety Disorders are
Highly Treatable

For years, medication was the primary mechanism for dealing with anxiety disorder symptoms. Today there are many alternative treatment options and additional measures available to fight anxiety disorders.
If you have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder, that's no reason to give up on your goals. Be patient and prepare yourself to fight. You are not alone in this battle, and millions of people are going through the same thing as you.
Your healthcare provider will work out the strategy that is most suited for your situation. Generally, therapies for anxiety disorders include one or many of the below:

Medication
Psychological counseling
Lifestyle changes
Community support

Medication

Before resorting to any type of anxiety medication, it is important to consider whether your symptoms actually result from a disorder that is psychiatric in its nature rather than from any other unrelated medical condition, for there are numerous ailments similar in their symptomatology to those of generalized anxiety disorder and such. For instance, various endocrine, thyroid, or heart problems may produce symptoms one may believe to be caused by mere anxiety or depression. Certain types of medications may also sometimes be the reason for feeling anxious. It is essential that a healthcare practitioner conduct a thorough evaluation to determine the true origin of your problem before shifting her attention to available treatment options. And once other possibilities are ruled out, and you feel that you are mentally challenged by many if not all situations in your life, then you may be suffering from anxiety, or depression, or often the combination of both.

If you have been diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), there are several treatment options available many of which consist of both therapy and medication management working in conjunction with each other. Some of the medications are habit-forming and, although designed to provide immediate relief, e.g., if you suffer from panic attacks caused by anxiety, should only be prescribed on an as-needed basis and require close monitoring by your healthcare practitioner.

Benzodiazepines are known as the most prominent type of such short-term immediate relief drugs. They include Clonazepam (Klonopin), Alprazolam (Xanax), Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), Diazepam (Valium), and Lorazepam (Ativan). Essentially, they are sedatives with the mechanism of action directed towards increasing the effects of certain neurotransmitters in your brain, which in turn makes you feel calm and physically relaxed.

Potential side effects of benzodiazepines may include drowsiness, memory and vision problems, confusion, depression, and headaches. As they are also habit-forming, prolonged treatment may result in addiction. Furthermore, a sudden interruption after two or more weeks of continued use may cause seizures in some people. It is always advised that your healthcare provider considers all important factors and risks before starting you on benzodiazepines.
Different types of anxiety may require different regimens. Buspirone (Buspar) may sometimes be prescribed to treat both chronic and acute anxiety. Although its mechanism of action is not entirely understood, it is believed to react with certain chemicals in the brain influencing your mood. It may take two weeks or more to feel the effects.

Potential side effects of Buspirone are dizziness, nausea, headaches, and seldom difficulty sleeping or strange dreams.
Antidepressants are often used as a long-term solution for anxiety management as they could take up to six weeks to generate any noticeable effect while accumulating in the plasma. Their mechanisms of action may slightly vary depending on the type; however, most act by affecting neurotransmitters in the brain.
SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) increase your serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter responsible for one's mood, sleep, sexual desire, appetite, and more. The most commonly used SSRIs include escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft).

Although SSRIs are typically well-tolerable by most people, the following side effects may occur: diarrhea, dry mouth, nausea, muscle weakness, dizziness, drowsiness, and sexual dysfunction.
Tricyclics, similar to SSRIs, are approved and effectively used as a long-term treatment for various types of anxiety disorders, with the exception of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

They have been around for some time now and are used less often than the newer ones, for they result in fewer adverse effects. Clomipramine (Anafranil) and imipramine (Tofranil) are among the tricyclics used to treat anxiety.

Side effects, although moderate in most cases and are manageable by manipulating doses and switching to different types of tricyclics, may include nausea, constipation, blurred vision, and weight gain.

Get Anxiety Consultation

Benefits of this approach:

With the help of a doctor, you will be able to track progress and identify any issues or complications quickly
Many medications effectively help to balance neurotransmitter levels
Pharmacological therapies have relatively fast results

Anxiety Management

While using medications for anxiety may be medically necessary, it is essential that one maintain a healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly, learning to meditate, and avoiding drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and illicit drug use altogether. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), daily physical exercise alone for as little as ten minutes per day can help reduce stress and stimulate a general sense of well-being and satisfaction.

Be sure to always talk to your healthcare provider if you think you experience any symptoms of anxiety or depression, as only a licensed and experienced practitioner can find the best appropriate course of action and treatment individually tailored to your unique circumstances.

If you are feeling suicidal, help is always available 24/7 via

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

800-273-8255

If this is a medical emergency please dial 911.

Phobias	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very Often
Are there life situations that cause you extreme fear?
Is there any animal or insect that you dread?
Is there any object or situation that causes you intense and constant fear (such as flying, being in confined spaces, heights, germs, needles, etc.)?
Do you feel anxious when you encounter this object or situation?
Does the fear or anxiety cause physical symptoms, such as sweating, tremors, or fainting?
Does this fear seem excessive or irrational to you?
Do you try to avoid objects or situations you fear?
If you can't avoid the feared object or situation, do you experience unbearable anxiety or suffering?

Social and General Anxiety	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very Often
Whenever you interact with others, do you suffer from anxiety or panic?
Do you fear being judged by others in social situations?
Do you avoid social interactions because of fear or anxiety?
How often do you go out of your way to avoid social situations?
Are you nervous when you have to speak in front of others, like during a public speech, business meeting, etc.?
Do you ever feel that others will consider you anxious, weak, stupid, unappealing, etc.?
Are you often concerned that people may notice your anxiety through blushing, tremors, sweating, mumbling, etc.?
Do you often feel self-conscious in social situations, worried that you might insult someone or get rejected?
Do you experience excessive, disproportionate anxiety in certain social situations?
Is your anxiety affecting your professional, social, and personal life in a significant way?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very Often
Do you suffer from repetitive thoughts that cause anxiety?
Do you dread germs, wash your hands multiple times a day, and worry about catching diseases?
Do you tend to constantly check on your belongings or arrange them in a particular order?
Does your mind wander to aggressive, scary, or taboo thoughts?
Do you suffer from intrusive thoughts or repetitive actions?
In times of anxiety, how often do you perform calming rituals; count objects, wash your hands, or turn the lights on and off?
If that's the case, how often do you spend more than 30 minutes performing repetitive rituals to ease anxiety?
If you cannot perform your usual calming rituals, does your anxiety or well-being significantly worsen?
Do you experience physical signs of anxiety, such as rapid heartbeats, sweating, etc., during a bout of compulsive thinking?
Would you say that your obsessive thinking or rituals significantly impact your professional, social, or personal life?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very Often
Is it common for you to revisit traumatic memories, stressful experiences from the past?
Do you often dream about traumatic experiences from your past?
Do you ever act or feel as though a traumatic experience in your past was happening again?
Is it common for you to feel very upset when something brings back memories of a traumatic event?
When something reminds you of a past traumatic experience, do you get physical reactions, such as rapid heartbeat, sweating, shortness of breath, etc.?
How often do you avoid situations, people, or thoughts that could trigger memories, feelings, or thoughts of a past traumatic experience?
Do you have trouble recalling significant parts of a traumatic experience?
Are you often thinking negatively about yourself, e.g., you have no worth, no one is trustworthy, the world is dangerous, etc.?
Do you blame yourself or somebody else for the traumatic experience from your past?
Do you frequently feel negative emotions like fear, anxiety, or panic? Do you often feel strong negative emotions like anger, guilt, or shame?
Did you lose interest in previously enjoyable activities?
Do you often feel unwelcome or cut off from others?
Do you often struggle to feel positive and enjoy happy moments?
How frequently do you get irritable or angry?
Do you frequently engage in behaviors that could be harmful to you or others?
Do you often find yourself on guard?
Do you feel easily startled?
Is it often difficult for you to focus?
How often do you have trouble falling or staying asleep?

Anxiety Disorders areHighly Treatable

Anxiety Disorders are
Highly Treatable