Anxiety disorder, a seemingly common mental illness, has left many people feeling helpless.
However, it is precisely because many people lack knowledge of the disease, including many friends who have already suffered from anxiety disorders, that the condition recurs.
*For anxiety disorders, keep in mind the following 4 points to get twice the result with half the effort!
Do not stop taking the drug without permission and follow the whole course of the disease**
In clinical practice, there are many drug options for anti-anxiety disorders, mainly including antidepressants (such as escitalopram, paroxetine, sertraline, etc.) and benzodiazepines (such as ap**, diazepam, lorazepam, etc.). However, each drug has its advantages and disadvantages, so it needs to be reasonably understood in the specific use process.
Benzodiazepines, for example, have the ability to relieve anxiety, calm the mind and body, and improve sleep quality, and they work quickly. However, these drugs should not be used long-term because they increase the risk of addiction and cause adverse effects such as drowsiness and cognitive impairment.
On the other hand, antidepressants are effective in relieving anxiety and anxiety-associated depressive symptoms, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which can be 60% to 70% effective, but they also have the disadvantage that they must take at least two weeks to show efficacy.
As a mental illness that is prone to anxiety, anxiety disorder needs to follow the principle of the whole course of the disease in order to reduce the disease rate.
Acute phase**: Mainly to control anxiety symptoms and try to achieve clinical**.
Consolidation phase**: generally at least 2 to 6 months, at this stage the disease is unstable, the risk of recurrence is greater, mainly to prevent recurrence.
Maintenance period**: It is generally necessary to maintain** for at least 12 months to prevent**.
Therefore, even if you feel good or your clinical manifestations are completely relieved after taking the drug, you should never stop taking the drug without permission, and you must continue to take the drug for a longer period of time according to your doctor's instructions to minimize the risk**.
Antidepressants may also be used for anxiety disorders**
In fact, antidepressants not only show significant efficacy in depression, but also advocate that antidepressants should be used as first-line drugs for anxiety disorders at home and abroad.
So, how exactly do antidepressants achieve anti-anxiety benefits?
To be precise, we need to trace back to the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders.
With the in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders, scientists have found that the occurrence of anxiety disorders is closely related to the imbalance of brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, and many antidepressants can restore the content of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, to normal levels, thereby achieving anxiolytic effects.
In addition, antidepressants avoid the risk of drug addiction and have a longer-lasting effect than some anxiolytics. A growing body of studies has shown that newer antidepressants are safer, better tolerated, and have fewer adverse effects than benzodiazepine anxiolytics and tricyclic antidepressants.
The combination of antidepressant drugs and anti-anxiety drugs is widely adopted in clinical practice, which can make up for the shortcomings of anti-anxiety drugs, improve the effectiveness, help long-term anxiety disorders, and reduce the incidence of symptoms.
Therefore, it is clear that it is a common practice in clinical practice for doctors to prescribe antidepressant medication for patients suffering from anxiety disorders, and patients do not need to worry and worry at all.
However, not all anxiety disorders are suitable for antidepressant medication**, and in the actual diagnosis and treatment process, doctors will carefully select the most effective ** drug according to the patient's individual condition. In addition, it is advisable for patients not to self-diagnose their condition and choose medications, but to seek guidance from a medical professional at the hospital.
Alcohol and tobacco do not relieve anxiety
Smoking or drinking alcohol can indeed give a short period of calm when you are irritable and nervous. This is due to the fact that nicotine and alcohol in tobacco can stimulate the dopamine neurons in the brain to release the happy hormone dopamine, which, combined with the calming effect of alcohol, makes individuals feel happy and relaxed.
However, nicotine in tobacco leaves is highly addictive, and if people with anxiety disorders see it as a reliever, it is undoubtedly like drinking to quench their thirst. Scientific studies have confirmed that nicotine can not only stimulate the dopamine system at the edge of the cortex, but also cause anxiety disorders through unknown neural circuits. In addition, long-term smoking not only irritates the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, resulting in increased burden on the lungs, but also may cause anxiety symptoms once the cigarette is stopped abruptly.
In addition, long-term alcohol consumption will not only aggravate anxiety, but may also cause some degree of damage to the body, such as liver damage.
Relaxation training to help relieve anxiety
When an anxiety attack occurs, relaxation** can be used to relieve anxiety symptoms in addition to medications**. This ** mainly reduces anxiety by reducing muscle tension and autonomic excitability, and has a good sedative-hypnotic effect.
Today, I would like to introduce you to a breathing relaxation training method.
This type of relaxation training uses steady, slow, deep breathing to achieve relaxation goals. It usually requires more than 20 breaths in a row, with a frequency of between 10 and 15 breaths per minute.
Adopt a sitting or lying position to keep your muscles relaxed and focused.
As you begin to inhale, slowly clench your hands into fists and bend your wrists slightly; Inhale to the maximum, pause for a few seconds, then exhale slowly, relax your hands, and return to a relaxed state of muscles throughout your body; Repeat the breathing process described above.
It is recommended to practice 1-2 times a day for 10-15 minutes each time.
References: 1] Hao Wei, Lu Lin. Psychiatry (8th ed.).Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House. 2018.
2] Ji Jianlin. Why use antidepressants for anxiety disorders? ——Letter from Readers[J].Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 2015, 25(1):1