Anxiety is something that you don’t have to live with. Whether you suffer from mild social anxiety or severe PTSD, there are many treatment options that you can explore. Below are five treatment options to look into.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy involves working with a therapist to help find ways to reduce anxiety symptoms. It can be used to beat everything from phobias to GAD.
A popular form of psychotherapy used to deal with anxiety is CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). This typically involves sharing your feelings and then learning skills to overcome your anxiety. Exposure therapy is commonly used alongside this, which may involve exposing you to objects or situations that cause you anxiety in a controlled manner.
For psychotherapy to be effective, it’s important that you find the right therapist. Check out this guide on how to find the right therapist.
Stress management techniques
There are many stress management techniques that you can learn without the help of a therapist. These are worth trying – they may not work for everyone, but can be very effective for some people.
A few examples include meditating, carrying out breathing exercises, journaling, using stress toys, and partaking in physical exercise. You can look into all these techniques online.
Some people are able to discover their own unique stress management techniques, which may involve certain rituals or exercises. So long as the stress management technique doesn’t cause you or anyone else any harm, it’s worth adopting.
Prescription medication
For severe cases of anxiety, doctors may prescribe medication. Such medication can help reduce symptoms of anxiety temporarily or on an ongoing basis.
Some of the forms of medication prescribed to those experiencing anxiety include SSRIs, SNRIs, pregabalin, or benzodiazepines. Certain medications may be better suited than others depending on your individual case.
Herbal medication
There are many forms of herbal medication that you can explore to help reduce anxiety. These typically do not need to be prescribed and are available from any herbal pharmacy. Examples of popular herbal medicines used to beat anxiety include valerian root, ashwagandha and kava. Herbal teas like chamomile may also help with mild anxiety.
Cannabis is one form of herbal medication that is particularly popular for relieving anxiety. In some states, it is legal to buy cannabis without a prescription using local dispensaries such as The Apothecarium. In other states, you may only be able to buy cannabis if you have a diagnosed medical condition. There are also some states where cannabis isn’t legal at all in any form. Do your research to find out what your local laws are.
Support groups
Talking to other people with anxiety may help some people. You can help each other to understand the source of your anxiety and motivate each other to overcome it.
Consider doing research into support groups for specific types of anxiety. Online support groups may be an option if there are no local in-person groups. Make sure to choose the right groups – certain online groups may only serve to reinforce feelings of anxiety if they are not moderated.
