The Short-Term vs. Long-Term Anxiety Treatment
By Angel Merchan
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When Anxiety Becomes a Problem
There is a strong prevalence of people who suffer from anxiety in the United States; around 30% of people in the U.S. suffer from anxiety. Most people experience some form of anxiety occasionally; certain life circumstances can be very stressful. Doing a presentation in front of others, a job interview, or having a long airplane flight could cause someone to have anxiety. However, when anxiety symptoms start interfering with your daily life, it could mean you have an anxiety disorder.
Impact of Anxiety on Your Body
Anxiety can interrupt your day-to-day tasks, and people who suffer from differing levels of anxiety disorders can also experience physiological issues. Anxiety releases stress hormones in the body, and if these hormones are released often, it can lead to high blood pressure and various other health conditions. The prolonged release of stress hormones can lead to lowered immunity. Lowered immune function can cause various illnesses because your immune system is your first line of defense against all illnesses.
Anxiety and Addiction
Many people who suffer from anxiety disorders eventually also suffer from addiction, self-destruction, and depression. It is important to find a therapist that will equip you with the tools necessary to win the arduous fight with anxiety and addiction simultaneously.
Anxiety and Seeking Treatment.
There are several approaches to fight through anxiety, and everyone is different. If you suffer from anxiety, it is essential to try different approaches. The more you explore different methods to get your anxiety under control, the greater the chance of finding a regimen that works best for you. In the pursuit of finding peace, it is also essential to find a treatment method that can work in the long term.
Medication Alone is Unlikely the Answer
Medication alone can help decrease the symptoms in the short term but does not provide you with the skills you will need to fight off and conquer your anxiety in most cases. It has been proven that people who can cognitively conquer their anxiety have better results in managing anxiety in the long term. If you seek the medication management-only route, it will offer little help cognitively with combating automatic thought loops that drive anxiety symptoms. While this may be enough for some people to overcome short bouts of anxiety, others need more tools to attain an inner state of calm.
Medication Alone May Cause More Harm than Good
For some, taking medication can do more harm than good. Masking physical symptoms of anxiety is not always the most effective method of living a life without addressing the underlining causes of anxiety. If one can combat anxiety by learning to identify cognitive distortions and update limiting beliefs, they are more likely to be shaking the root causes of their anxiety. The mind and our thoughts have a big impact on how our body behaves physically. Therefore, to resolve anxiety, consider learning which questions to ask and learning new tools to alleviate anxiety symptoms. There has been evidence to support that cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness training, and short-term medication management adjunct therapy have provided good results.
Were Here to Help
At Mental Map to Wellness, there is an emphasis on training the mind with the tools necessary for healing. We believe in giving you a clear path with steps to help you through your healing journey. Contact us today; together, we'll find a healing path for you.
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