Anxiety and Medications

Anxiety is a normal emotion and/or circumstance of threat and is thought to be part of the evolutionary “fight or flight” reaction of survival. At times, it is normal, or even adaptive, to be anxious, but there are many circumstances in which the presence of anxiety is maladaptive or excessive. Anxiety disorder includes symptoms of excessive fear and worry.

Some anxiety disorders may include symptoms of obsessive-compulsive component, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and many others that result in problems with sleep, concentrating, fatigue and psychomotor/arousal symptoms. Anxiety disorders are frequently comorbid with many conditions such as substance abuse, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD, bipolar disorder, pain disorders, sleep disorders, and more. Anxiety disorders may also overlap depression disorder.

How Anti-Anxiety Medications Work

-Anti-anxiety medications / anxiety periods-The neurotransmitters linked to anxiety disorders overlap with those of major depressive disorder. This is why many drugs developed for depression have proven to be effective treatment for anxiety disorders. The first line of medication for anxiety disorders are medications for depression. Most of the medications for depression that can increase serotonin output by blocking the serotonin transporter are also effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and fear.

Treatment for anxiety disorders include psychotherapy as well as medication management.

Types of Anti-Anxiety Medications

Pharmacological treatments for anxiety disorder include SSRIs, SNRIs, benzodiazepine, buspirone, and alpha-2 Sigma ligand such as pregabalin and gabapentin. Different medications are prescribed for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and PTSD and need to be cautiously tailored to the patient’s needs.

Types of Anti-Anxiety Medications

The medication for anxiety helps to decrease excessive anxiety and worry, increases the likelihood of controlling the worries, as well as helps patients to manage extreme distress that prevents them from going about their daily life. Medication can help decrease feelings of restlessness, feelings of being on the edge, irritation, concentration, trouble sleeping, fatigue, and muscle tension.

Treatment for anxiety disorder includes psychotherapy during which the psychotherapist teaches the patient’s how to reshape negative thoughts and patterns, out-of-control worries and anxieties, as well as fears.

One of our patients stated that thanks to psychotherapy and medication, she was able to “return to work, drive a car, and work on her relationships.”

Contact Us for More Information, Schedule a Consultation for Anxiety Management

Treatment for anxiety is available in Chicago and Orland Park.

Faq

Dr. Wegierek provides psychiatric services in both locations.

Anti-anxiety medications work in different ways to influence the chemicals in the brain that regulate anxiety and arousal.

The most common side effects of anti-anxiety medications are insomnia, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, headache, etc.

Each treatment modality should be discussed with the doctor. Some patients require only psychotherapy, and some require both psychotherapy and medications. It is also important to always communicate to your doctor if you are taking any herbals remedies, using marijuana and/or its products, illicit drugs, and/or consume alcohol beverages.