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How Can Medication Help Anxiety?

Many times, people will try medication to control anxiety before starting therapy. When a person has a panic attack, he or she might go to the emergency room or to a family doctor and get a prescription. This is often because many of the symptoms of anxiety (racing heart, trouble breathing, nausea or teeth grinding) can be mistaken for physical problems.
If a doctor discovers that it is anxiety that is causing the person’s issues, he or she may prescribe one of several drugs to help with the symptoms.

 

How Do You Know If You Should Be Using Medication?

Are you having panic attacks a few times a week or more?
Are you able to push aside your worry to focus on a task or do you find that you can’t draw your attention away from your worry?
Do you often feel so sick to your stomach with worry that it affects how you eat or sleep?
Do you quickly get red in the face, have shaky legs, stutter or have a racing heart even at the thought that someone might notice your anxiety?
Do you ever feel so terrified of being in a public place that you refuse to go?

 

What Do Medications Do for Your Brain?

Medications change the way neurotransmitters work. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in your brain. The most common kinds of drugs that work on these chemicals are called SSRIs, Benzodiazepines, and Azapirones.

 

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

When your brain is low in serotonin, you may be more negative than most, have trouble concentrating, find it hard to stop worry or panic, or have trouble seeing good solutions to problems. SSRIs help you manage your thoughts and your mood. This makes your brain more effective and can help you learn to deal with your anxiety faster. SSRIs are not addictive. They simply help your brain make more serotonin. The most common SSRIs are:

Prozac
Zoloft
Paxil
Luvox
Celexa
Lexapro

Another medication called an SNRI (Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor) also works to increase certain chemicals in your brain. These drugs include:

Effexor
Cymbalta
Pristiq

It’s important to keep in mind that when a medication is non-addictive, it may take several weeks before it starts helping your brain make those chemicals and even longer for your brain to maintain those chemicals. You should often expect to be on a medication for several months to a year.

 

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines can be addictive. If you have a history of drug or alchol use, please be careful with these medications. Benzodiazepines help by decreasing the feelings of panic and anxiety. They are often suggested along with SSRIs. Benzodiazepines should not be stopped without the okay from your doctor as there can be withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms are unpleasant feelings that occur when a drug is stopped suddenly or too quickly. The most common benzodiazepines include:

Xanax
Ativan
Klonopin

Benzodiazepines work on the chemical GABA, which slows down the firing between your brain cells. Calming effects of benzodiazepines usually occur within 20 minutes and can last for several hours.

 

Buspirone

Buspirone, or Buspar, is a different anti-anxiety drug called an Azapirone. Azapirones work on serotonin differently than SSRIs. These drugs also work on Dopamine in your brain by taking the edge off your anxiety. Buspirone does not work right away like other medications. It may be best for people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

 

Other Medications

At times, your doctor may suggest a medication that is used “off-label”. This means that the drug is not sold for the use that your doctor is prescribing it for. Certain heart medications called beta-blockers may be prescribed as needed for reducing rapid heart and flushing skin that can happen with panic or anxiety. There are also some anti-seizure medications that can also help reduce anxiety symptoms.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Medication will not teach you anxiety management techniques. It can, however, calm you enough to so that you can start learning and using the techniques. Appropriate therapy can help you eliminate your anxiety symptoms without medication but there are times when medication is an important aid to feeling better.

 

If you have questions about whether or not you should be on medication for your anxiety, talk with your family doctor. He or she may recommend you start therapy. Please contact me via email at:
eglcsw@eileengrudierlcsw.com

 

 

 

REFERENCES
Wehrenberg, M. (2008) The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques. New York: W.W. Norton and Company Inc.

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What is Happening to Your Brain When You’re Feeling Anxious

So someone told you that your anxiety is all in your head? Well, that’s actually kind of right. Your brain has a lot to do with what makes you feel anxious.

Brain Chemicals
You have 10 billion cells in your brain called neurons. These neurons communicate with each other by sending messages back and forth via chemicals called neurotransmitters. In order for these messages to get sent, there needs to be enough of those chemicals. Sometimes when people have anxiety, they either have too many or too few chemicals. Here a few examples:

GABA-slows your neurons. When GABA isn’t working you might feel agitated. GABA may even increase problems with other chemicals.

Serotonin-helps even out your mood, your appetite and your sleep. When this chemical is low you might experience poor planning, poor impulse control, fly off the handle with everyday problems, or be rigid with things.

Norepinephrine-keeps you alert and energetic. It also helps balance your blood pressure. When this chemical is too high, you may feel jittery, have scattered thoughts or experience panic attacks.

Parts of Your Brain
Different parts of your brain do different things. Just like completing a call requires your phone to receive a signal and send back a response, all the parts of your brain need to function smoothly for the messages to be clearly received and sent. The brain is very complex and I could talk about all the different parts and what they do, but let’s keep this simple.

Nervous System-gets organs going and calms them down
Stress Response System-gets hormones like adrenaline  pumping
Limbic System-affects emotion and memory
Basal Ganglia-coordinates motivation and body movement
Cortex-responsible for language, thinking, and decision-making

How it All Makes You Feel Anxious
Imbalances in these brain structures can cause specific anxiety disorders.

***Specific Phobias
The amygdala, which is part of the limbic system, looks out for danger, safety and what’s familiar. The amygdala starts the fight or flight response. The hippocampus, also within the limbic system, is involved in learning and memory. During a stressful event, the amygdala and hippocampus work together and result in bodily responses that prepare you for danger. People that experience certain phobias may have an amygdala or hippocampus that goes into overdrive, even when danger is not present.
***Panic disorder
Panic symptoms can be caused by abnormalities in the brain stem and prefrontal cortex.
***Generalized Anxiety Disorder
GAD can be caused by abnormalities in chemicals like GABA and Norepinephrine. People with GAD may also have less activity in their central and peripheral nervous systems.

What????
So, do you feel like you just had a mini science class? Well, when it comes to the mind and body, science has a lot to do with it. Please don’t feel defeated though. Sometimes medication can help smooth out these chemical levels. If you feel like you are suffering from anxiety, talk with your doctor. He or she may recommend trying medication or talking with a therapist.

For more information, please contact me via email.
eglcsw@eileengrudierlcsw.com

 

REFERENCES
Wehrenberg, M. (2008) The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques. New York: W.W. Norton and Company Inc.
Wolfe, B. (2005) Understanding and Treating Anxiety Disorders. An Integrated Approach to healing the Wounded Self. Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-ab&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=XnMhWq7KI8eGjwT-8amoBw&q=nervous+system+in+brain&oq=nervous+system+in+brain&gs_l=psy-ab.3…5664.7568.0.7625.9.5.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0….0…1c.1.64.psy-ab..9.0.0….0.SeoWcc4I-uE#imgrc=eD7TxRjg3iVsPM:

https://www.google.com/search?q=limbic+system&client=firefox-b-ab&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwir7qTRjenXAhVq6oMKHZmvDPMQ_AUICigB&biw=1024&bih=488#imgrc=6edMGXk7THWRsM:

https://www.google.com/search?q=basal+ganglia&client=firefox-b-ab&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiwjeXLkOnXAhXJz4MKHUnRC0EQ_AUICigB&biw=1024&bih=488#imgrc=ITVix6_QX76ynM:

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How and Why I Became a Therapist

College

So, I was 18 years old, fresh out of high school and essentially no clue as to what I wanted to be when I grew up. So what did I do? I went to a four-year school for a degree in communications. Fast forward to two semesters later and my once A’s and B’s were quickly sliding down to C’s and D’s. Apparently communications was not for me.

So what did I do? I changed schools and decided to give community college a try. My mom had been a registered nurse for over 30 years so my thought was, why not? Well, you guessed it. Those C’s and D’s were leering their heads again. It was at that point that I was seriously second guessing my ability at this college thing.

 

Relationships & Life Events

So by 20 years old, I had been dating a guy for a few months. Soon into the relationship, I discovered that he had a pretty bad drug problem. After much consideration, I ended that relationship, only to find myself dating another guy with the same exact drug addiction.

It was also around this time, that my older sister died suddenly. After ending it with Boyfriend Number 2 and trying my best to grieve the loss of my sister, I found myself suffering from debilitating panic attacks and Depression. I was having trouble going to school or work and sometimes even leaving the house.

 

Coping and New Opportunities

During the next few years , I worked hard at getting myself to a stable place emotionally. I soon discovered something. I was interested in becoming a counselor. So I transferred to a different community college and completed a 2 year degree in drug and alcohol counseling. I was 25 at the time and of course here came Anxiety telling me “Oh my you are too old to still be in college!” But that didn’t stop my passion.

 

Keep At It

Age 27 meant getting my Bachelor’s degree in Social work and by 28 I had my Master’s in Social Work. I am now a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Private Practice, doing the work I love most.

 

Always Learning

So what did I learn from my journey through school? Well,that life certainly will not play out as expected! Did I have moments where I second guessed my talents and abilities? Sure. Did I have major life events that impacted my ability to cope effectively? You betcha! But I didn’t let that stop me from achieving my goals.

 

 

Do these life struggles sound familiar to you? Have you at times been your own worst critic and felt like you were not capable of achieving great things? If so, contact me and let’s put together a plan of action.

eglcsw@eileengrudierlcsw.com