Treating Anxiety

Treating anxiety is the best method of dealing with anxiety unless the ailment is in its developing stages; hence someone has to take preventive measures against the ailment. One thing that someone has to realize is that how you accept that you are ailing from anxiety leads to faster recovery.

The first step in treating anxiety is acceptance of the patient that he has a disease and that he won’t recover from it unless he takes the necessary measures. Most therapist and psychologists since they are ones who are used to dealing with people of this kind always take the first initiative of letting the patient know that this ailment is curable and it is not fatal. Since some patients are psychotic and some are having comorbidity with depression it is at this stage where the doctor gets to understand where the patient is coming from before he can even get to examining him.

The second step in treating anxiety is choosing a plan of action and by this I mean you choose you the type of treatment you would like to be taking. This is usually deliberated between the patient and the doctor as soon as the doctor has done his examination and evaluation. The doctor sits with the patient and explains the different types of treatment that are there. To name just but a few they are, natural or herbal remedies treatment, over the counter medicines, lifestyle change practices and different forms of therapy.

The third stage in treating anxiety is medication and lifestyle change. This is the stage at which the patient starts taking his medication and adjusts his lifestyle to suit the doctor’s recommendation and prescription. This is so because some of the medication used to treat anxiety should not be taken with any other medication or consumed with alcohol or certain foods like milk. Also the side effects of some of these drugs lead to lack of appetite, insomnia, fatigue, drowsiness, dullness, slow brain activity, weight loss or weight gain. This therefore calls for the patient to adjust his life accordingly so that he will not be overcome by the changes that his mind or body will start to experience.

Still under medication there are lifestyle changes that can be good and help in the faster recovery of anxiety. These are doing activities like yoga, meditation, reducing the consumption of caffeine, tea, cola, alcohol, cigarettes, cannabis and chocolate, performing regular exercises, eating food that is healthy, practice deep abdominal breathing in the case of an anxiety attack, taking long warm baths and replacing negative self talk with positive self talk. When treating anxiety the patient needs to go for regular and often checkups so that the doctor, therapist or physician can monitor his progress and the changes that are taking place. In the meantime the patient can check with his doctor or pharmacist to find out if the prescribed medicine has chemicals that may contribute to anxiety or allergies.

As a conclusion the final stage is recovery. The patient is now tasked to see that he takes his medication as required so that he can recover and relapse. This is the sure way of ensuring a speedy recovery. As the patient is recovering he should ensure that he practices preventive measures and caution throughout the entire medication period.

Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder is also known as clinical depression, unipolar disorder, or recurrent depression. It is a mental illness that affects a person’s ability to sleep, work, study, or enjoy the company of friends and family. In many cases Major Depressive Disorder is also accompanied by anxiety disorders. Major Depressive Disorder as well as anxiety disorders are not something that can be “snapped out of”. It requires long term treatment in the form of counseling, medication or other treatments. If left untreated it can lead to self-harm or even suicide. Most people who undergo treatment for depression and anxiety disorders are often able to resume normal, happy, healthy lives.

Symptoms of MDD

The symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder and anxiety disorders can be more than just emotional. Symptoms can also be physical or mental. Emotional symptoms range from irritability, feelings of hopelessness, deep sadness, inappropriate guilt and regret, to lack of self-esteem and the loss of enjoyment in normally pleasurable activities. People who have depression or anxiety disorders will often times feel that life is not worth living. Physical symptoms include headaches, lethargy, tense muscles, or loss of appetite. In some cases Major Depressive Disorder or anxiety disorders can have strong effects on a person’s mental state by causing unpleasant hallucinations, delusions, poor memory, or the inability to concentrate.

Diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder

Diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder is based off of a person’s self-reported experiences, a mental status examination, and behaviors reported by friends and family. During the diagnosis process a qualified medical or mental health provider will ask a patient a series of questions to help determine whether or not the patient has Major Depressive Disorder or other anxiety disorders.

A person is diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder if they meet the diagnosis requirements laid out by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association. In order to be diagnosed as having Major Depressive Disorder a patient must have had at least one major depressive episode. A major depressive episode is described as a period of at least two weeks where the patient has experienced a persistent depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure. In addition to feelings of depression a patient must experience at least five of the following symptoms on a near daily basis. The symptoms of both major depression and anxiety disorders are insomnia/hypersomnia, fatigue or loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt, diminished ability to think or concentrate, depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, significant weight loss/gain (when not dieting), either observable slowing of thoughts and movement, or the opposite, observable agitation, or recurring thoughts of death or suicide.

Although there is no official laboratory test to diagnose Major Depressive Disorder, physicians and mental health providers often have a patient undergo an examination to check for a physical condition that may cause some of the same symptoms as Major Depressive Disorder or anxiety disorders. Symptoms that resemble Major Depressive Disorder can be brought about through physical injury such as head trauma or automobile accidents.

Treatment Options

There are a wide variety of treatment options for people suffering from Major Depressive Disorder or other anxiety disorders. Treatment options vary from antidepressant medications, herbal supplements to therapy or counseling. In many cases a combination of prescription medications and counseling is prescribed.

Some of the most commonly prescribed medications are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) and Norepinephrine and Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors (NDRIs). These medications alter the brains ability to absorb certain chemicals and have moderate side effects. Herbal supplements are an alternative to prescription medication. The most commonly taken herbal supplements are St. John’s Wort and Magnolia Bark. These supplements are not approved by the FDA to treat depression and anxiety disorders but have been used for centuries to treat depression and anxiety disorders. Therapy sessions allow a patient to speak to a counselor about issues that may be causing depression and begin to understand and overcome them.

Major Depressive Disorder or other anxiety disorders can have a serious effect on day to day life. Seeking proper treatment is the first step in regaining control of the situation and resuming a normal life. It is important to research treatment options as well as evaluate depression levels. With the proper treatment, it is possible to resume a normal, happy, and healthy life.

Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms

There are different levels of depression disorders and no two people are likely to suffer from the same exact symptoms. Women seem to suffer depression disorders at an approximate ratio of 2:1 compared to men. Doctors estimate that of those who suffer minor or major depressive disorder symptoms, approximately half will seek some form of treatment. Of these people, 80 percent will find relief from their symptoms with the right type of treatment.

How Bad Can it Get?

• Depression is one of the more common yet unusual mental disorders as it can range in severity from a mild case of the "blues", to clinical depression. For the person who reaches this stage of depression disorders, the most common symptoms can include extended feelings of despair and hopelessness, ones that no matter what you do will not go away. 

• If you suffer from major depression disorders, you may find it hard to get out of bed in the morning. Major or clinical depression can make it hard to do your job or study for school. You may find it hard to eat, relax, or sleep. Life can seem to have no meaning to it and in time you will start to retreat from your normal life, leaving friends and family behind. 

• Many people will only suffer from major depression disorders once in their lives, however a large number may find themselves revisiting this place in their lives numerous times over the years. In many instances this level of depression can be hereditary, but in others there may be no family history of depression disorders of any kind.

Who Is Likely to Suffer From Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms?

According to the latest information available from the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 7 percent of the US population suffers from some level of major depression disorders. This is based on those over the age of 18, the report goes on to say that as much as 20 to 25 percent of the population is likely to suffer from at least one episode of major depressive disorders at some point in their lives. These depression disorders can affect people of any age from childhood to seniors, but often goes undiagnosed and as such is left untreated.

Who Is More at Risk, Men or Women?

Studies such as those conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health indicate women are far more at risk of depression disorders than men. This is due to issues such as hormones during puberty, pregnancy, menstrual cycles, miscarriages, and the onset of menopause. Other contributing factors include but are not limited to the stress of trying to balance work and raising a family, taking care of parents as they age, and being a single parent.

What about Men?

While women seem to feel relatively comfortable seeking help for the depression disorders, men are far more reluctant to seek help for major depressive disorder symptoms. Often the only real symptoms men seem to exhibit include excessive anger or irritability, or substance abuse including alcohol and drugs. Most will turn to the latter as a way of hiding the fact they are suffering from depression disorders. Because of this, the incidence of violent behavior, including both homicide and suicide in men tends to be higher.

Treating the Symptoms of a Major Depressive Disorder

Once depression disorders have been diagnosed, there are a range of treatment options available. Many doctors have begun looking more at using natural herbal or botanical therapies combined with several different forms of mind and body exercises such as breathing exercises and meditation combined with natural anti-depressants as they offer excellent relief without the risk of the nasty side effects most pharmaceutical anti-depressants have.

If you think you may be suffering from one of the various levels of depressive disorders, seek help as soon as possible. With the right treatment, you will soon regain control of your life and be able to enjoy your world again.

Natural Depression Relief

Here we will be looking at the natural treatments or ways to relieve depression. These natural depression relief remedies are used with or without supplementation with other drugs. Herbs and amino acids are very good natural depression relief products while as other activities like aromatherapy, jogging and yoga are also very good to relief a patient off depression very easily.

For this article we are going to study the remedies that work with our drug alpranax because though it is a prescription medicine it has natural herbs extract which are used as natural reliefs for depression. The ingredients in alpranax that we are going to look at are: - B-Complex Vitamins, Valerian, Passion Flower and St. John's Wort.

St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort is a perennial herb that has bright yellow flowers that are full of an oily red substance called hypericin which is the active constituent of Hypericum perfoliatum (which is the botanical name for St. John’s Wort). This natural depression relief herb has also been studied extensively and it has shown to have lower risks of side effects than the conventional anti-depressants. This medicine is administered to the patient in its processed form as pills, capsules or as an active ingredient in drugs like alpranax. This herb should not be combined with other medications.

Passion Flower

This is also another perennial herb that is a relief for natural depression. If a depression patient watches his patterns and he sees that tends to get stressed out and then he just crashes and goes into a state of depression, a herb like passionflower might help him more than an anti-depressant drug or herb, or both he can  use both. What passion flower does it goes to the brain and calms the nervous system a bit unlike antidepressants that just dull the mind.

B-vitamins

One thing that you should note is that B-vitamins are never prescribed alone to a patient but they are usually put into food or other supplementary drugs or juices for ingestion into the body. B-vitamins doses are safe to take with anti-depressants and other medications. B-vitamins are very cheap and can be likened to water on a plant that is wilting when they are been administered to a depressed person. A good quality multi-vitamin combination is what is typically prescribed to depressed patients.

A multi-vitamin combination is a great insurance policy to a doctor because it ensures that nutritional deficiency is not the contributing factor to the patient’s depression. How the B-vitamins work when used from our drug alpranax they help the brain functioning properly and to replenish the B-vitamins levels in the body because B-vitamins are frequently exhausted by anxiety and stress.

Valerian

Valerian which is scientifically known as (Valeriana officinalis, Valerianaceae) is a hardy perennial flowering plant that has sweetly scented pink or white flowers that blossom in the summer months. Alpranax uses this natural depression relief because it complements the soothing formula of the drug. How valerian works is that it interacts with the body's GABA-A receptor, where it causes a mildly sedative effect. Additionally it interferes with the brain's reuptake of adenosine A1 and this helps diminish muscle tension and the other physical manifestations of anxiety.

Anxiety Treatment

How a doctor will administer anxiety treatment to someone who is suffering from anxiety will depend on the cause of the anxiety and the patient's treatment preferences. Sometimes the root causes of anxiety are so strong that their effect has to be brought down to low levels before the individual undergoes anxiety treatment for the disorder. Anxiety treatments are of many different types they are medication, psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, psychological counseling, traditional herbs and self treatment.

Medication

Anxiety treatment for the longest time has been through medication. The medical treatment for anxiety is done through several types of drugs such as benzodiazepines, antidepressants, beta-blockers and tricyclics. When the cause of the anxiety is a physical ailment, the medication treatment will be administered to eliminate that particular ailment and at times involves surgery or other forms of medication to regulate that physical anxiety trigger. These medicines are used to control just some of the physical and mental symptoms.

Benzodiazepines: - Historically this is the drug that has been used to treat anxiety. However the use of these drugs has declined because of their addictive nature.

Anti-depressants: - This medication especially those in the class of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are also used commonly to treat anxiety although they were prescribed to treat depression. Their side effects include jitters, nausea, and sexual dysfunction especially when treatment begins.

Tricyclics: - These drugs are older than SSRIs and have been known to work well for most anxiety disorders other than obsessive-compulsive disorder. Their side effects include drowsiness, weight gain, dizziness and dry mouth.

Self treatment

Self treatment is a self administered anxiety treatment where by the patient with the disorder practices several routines or behavioral changes in the incident of an anxiety attack or as a preventive measure to prevent occurrences. The activities are

Yoga – This is the activity where one sits in a room by himself or with others and does stretching and exercises to control the heart rate and to ease the tension.

• Practice deep abdominal breathing in the case of an anxiety attack.

• Taking a long warm bath.

• Replacing negative self talk with positive self talk.

Generally Counseling

This form of anxiety treatment is where the patient seeks advice and help from a therapist or a clinical doctor who specializes with healing or therapeutically healing anxiety disorders. These forms of therapy include psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy or a combination of therapies.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of anxiety treatment which involves the changing of a person’s thoughts by the therapist. The patients are asked to explain how they feel towards certain things or occurrences that have caused them to have the anxious behavior.

• Psychotherapy is another anxiety treatment which involves talking with a trained mental health professional for example a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, or guidance counselor so as to explore the causes of anxiety and the possible ways of coping with symptoms.

Other forms of treatment

Apart from the above named forms of anxiety treatment, there are other recommendations that aid in quick recovery from any anxiety ailment or as a preventive measure to prevent the occurrence of an anxiety attack. They are

• Reducing the consumption of caffeine, tea, cola, and chocolate.

• Checking with a licensed doctor or pharmacist before making use of over-the-counter or herbal remedies to find out if they have chemicals that may contribute to anxiety.

• Performing regular exercises. 

• Eating food that is healthy.

• Avoiding using alcohol or cannabis.

Can Treatment for Anxiety Help with the Signs and Symptoms of Depression?

The signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety are often considered to be related to each other. In many cases this may be due to the fact that many people who suffer from depression are often found to suffering at least some level of anxiety. At the same time many of the different forms of treatment for anxiety are similar, if not the same as those used to treat depression.

Commonly Shared Symptoms

There are a number of shared symptoms between these disorders, these can include headaches, fatigue, sleep disorders, assorted pains, and a lack of energy. Where depression most often manifests itself as a feeling of sadness, lack of self-esteem, and loss of interest in those things that typically bring pleasure to the person, anxiety is best described as an overabundance of fear or worry. In order to prescribe the right treatment for anxiety, a person must first be evaluated by a professional who specializes in mental disorders.

Common Forms of Treatment for Anxiety

What many people do not realize is that many of the different forms of treatment for anxiety are the same as those used to treat the signs and symptoms of depression. Bear in mind that the way in which each person reacts to either disorder is likely to be very different. Because of this there is no one simple treatment for anxiety which is guaranteed to work for everyone. Each patient must be diagnosed and treated on an individual basis.

If you are suffering from either of these conditions, you need to take the time to learn as much as you can about the various forms of treatment. This is the only way you are likely to be able to find a treatment for anxiety which is most likely to fit in with your specific needs.

Natural, Psychological, or Pharmaceutical Treatment for Anxiety?

As you look for the right treatment for anxiety or depression, there are three different avenues you can take. These are the use of a number of pharmaceuticals, therapy sessions with a licensed psychotherapist, or one of many different all-natural forms of treatment for anxiety or depression.  

• While many doctors will turn to medication as their first form of treatment for anxiety, this may not be the best option. Far too many of the different anti-depressants and anti-anxiety have side effects which range from mild to exceptionally dangerous. One of the most common of these is becoming dependent or addicted to them. 

• A far better choice for many people as a treatment for anxiety is one of several forms of psychological therapy. These might include CBT (cognitive behavior therapy), which is a method used to teach you how to recognize the causes of your anxiety and take the necessary steps to mentally counteract them. You will need to work with a licensed therapist who can teach you how this treatment for anxiety works. 

More people are opting to use a more natural form of treatment for anxiety. These same methods can be used to treat depression. They typically include making a number of lifestyle changes such as starting an exercise regimen, changing your diet, and abstaining from things like alcohol and drinks containing caffeine. 

Mind and Body Therapy

One form of treatment for anxiety and depression which has been gaining in popularity for many years is the use of meditation as it has been proven to help you relax your mind and body, thereby reducing your stress levels and allowing you to focus on the more positive aspects of your life.

Many naturopaths are combining this treatment for anxiety with a number of herbal remedies such as St. John's Wort, B vitamins, and SAMe and achieving far better results than those accomplished using pharmaceuticals. Botanicals and herbs have few if any side effects, making them a far better choice for many people. Before beginning any form of treatment for anxiety or depression, you should always talk to your doctor. Visit us at for further information.