Anxiety disorders cover a wide range of conditions affecting millions of people in America alone. The treatment of one condition can vary from treatment of another in several ways. The use of social anxiety disorder medication has to be fashioned for the needs of the individual.
A patient undergoes a complete evaluation by a team of physicians before he receives a prescription for any medication. The physical and mental well-being of the sufferer has to be of the utmost concern. After tests are run and the vital signs are studied, the first attempt is made at medication treatment. Not all antidepressants work for each person. Sometimes the medication has to be changed several times to get positive results.
Not only are disorders different, but the way a specific disorder affects every person can also be different. The degree or seriousness of the anxiety also makes treatment through medication more difficult. A physician will work under the concept that too little is better than too much. Dosage starts at a low amount, and then the doctor increases it as necessary to relieve the patient. Based on tests run before the process of treatment started, physicians determine what the maximum dosage can be for each patient.
At the start of the medication, the patient is observed closely, especially in the first hours and days. The patient is studied for side effects and allergic reactions as well as to see if the medication is having a positive effect. Unfortunately, side effects and allergies will manifest themselves before any measurable improvement in the disorder.
Decades of trial and error have shown that some antidepressants have proven to be unsafe and actually destructive when used for long periods. Benzodiazepines have been used for 50 years for lowering anxiety levels. They work extremely fast, which contributes to them being prescribed often. The bad thing is the side effects, which are many, and the addictive properties of the drug. Clonazapam and alprzolam are the two most widely used benzodiazepines for social phobias.
A more natural treatment for anxiety seems to be Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Scientists have long believed that imbalances in the brain contribute to phobias associated with all kinds of anxiety disorders. SSRIs alter the levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, which aids the brain cells in communication. This family of medications has been very effective in anxiety treatment, but the results come slower than with the addictive drugs.
Tricyclics are another family of antidepressant used with some degree of success. They have been in use for about 50 years, but are now usually replaced with SSRIs. Tricyclics have not been proven effectual in treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorders.
Both tricyclics and SSRIs have side effects. The trade-off has to be in the positive direction for either drug to be considered worthwhile for the individual.
No medication treatments have proven effectual without also producing bad side effects. Any drug used as a social anxiety disorder medication is only a part of other non-drug treatments that include relaxation techniques and behavioral therapy.
A patient undergoes a complete evaluation by a team of physicians before he receives a prescription for any medication. The physical and mental well-being of the sufferer has to be of the utmost concern. After tests are run and the vital signs are studied, the first attempt is made at medication treatment. Not all antidepressants work for each person. Sometimes the medication has to be changed several times to get positive results.
Not only are disorders different, but the way a specific disorder affects every person can also be different. The degree or seriousness of the anxiety also makes treatment through medication more difficult. A physician will work under the concept that too little is better than too much. Dosage starts at a low amount, and then the doctor increases it as necessary to relieve the patient. Based on tests run before the process of treatment started, physicians determine what the maximum dosage can be for each patient.
At the start of the medication, the patient is observed closely, especially in the first hours and days. The patient is studied for side effects and allergic reactions as well as to see if the medication is having a positive effect. Unfortunately, side effects and allergies will manifest themselves before any measurable improvement in the disorder.
Decades of trial and error have shown that some antidepressants have proven to be unsafe and actually destructive when used for long periods. Benzodiazepines have been used for 50 years for lowering anxiety levels. They work extremely fast, which contributes to them being prescribed often. The bad thing is the side effects, which are many, and the addictive properties of the drug. Clonazapam and alprzolam are the two most widely used benzodiazepines for social phobias.
A more natural treatment for anxiety seems to be Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Scientists have long believed that imbalances in the brain contribute to phobias associated with all kinds of anxiety disorders. SSRIs alter the levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, which aids the brain cells in communication. This family of medications has been very effective in anxiety treatment, but the results come slower than with the addictive drugs.
Tricyclics are another family of antidepressant used with some degree of success. They have been in use for about 50 years, but are now usually replaced with SSRIs. Tricyclics have not been proven effectual in treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorders.
Both tricyclics and SSRIs have side effects. The trade-off has to be in the positive direction for either drug to be considered worthwhile for the individual.
No medication treatments have proven effectual without also producing bad side effects. Any drug used as a social anxiety disorder medication is only a part of other non-drug treatments that include relaxation techniques and behavioral therapy.
SHARE
