Medical Treatments
As research shows, psychological treatment is one of the best ways to treat and possibly cure anxiety. But, in certain severe cases, medication is also used and they can be helpful indeed.
Anti-Depressant Medication
There are certain kinds of antidepressant medication available in the market that can help patients to reduce their levels of anxiety even if they are not experiencing symptoms of depression.
Going by research, it is indicated that people showing signs and symptoms of an anxiety condition, certain changes take place in the brain chemicals like noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine.
It is here that antidepressant medication comes to play as these medications are designed to correct the imbalance of chemical messages between nerve cells in the brain.
Possible side effects of this medication
Antidepressant medication can help you feel better, however, they will not be able to make you feel happy for a long time or even change your personality for that matter.
Moreover, just as with other medications, these medications have some side-effects as well and it is highly recommended that individuals discuss the possible pros and cons of taking them.
Depending on which medication is taken, some of the most common side-effects are as follows:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Sweating
- Agitation
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Weight gain
- Sexual difficulties
Although these symptoms do not exist for long, the individual should always discuss them with their doctors mainly because there are ways to minimize them. It is also important to remember here that the likelihood of certain symptoms happening largely varies from person to person.
How Long Are These Medications Needed?
Just like any other medication, the period for which anti-depressants need to be taken varies largely from one person to the other and usually depends on how the patient is responding to the treatment.
While some people might need to take them for a short period, others might need to take these medications for longer periods to manage their existing condition. Comparison can be drawn to patients taking insulin to manage their diabetes or Ventolin for asthma.
Anti-depressants are largely safe, effective, and not addictive at all. However, people usually want to stop taking them after a while because they think that these medications are highly addictive. But, in most cases than not they mistake them for other medication. It is also advisable to stop taking these medications only after discussing it with a professional.