For some people, their anxious emotions are temporary. They can be alleviated through taking deep breaths or zoning out while listening to music. But when it comes to clinical anxiety, whether it be an anxiety disorder or anxiety that stems from depression, proper treatment can be the key to alleviating the seemingly unending nerves.
Generalized anxiety disorder, often referred to as anxiety, is one of the most common mental health disorders. It affects more than 6 million adults in the U.S., but only 43.2% of the affected population receives treatment.
Many people with anxiety may avoid proper treatment because they assume that medication is the only option. But there are a variety of anxiety treatments without medication that can reduce your anxiety symptoms and improve your overall quality of life.
We’ll discuss why people may prefer anxiety treatments without medication and the options worth exploring. Then we’ll discuss how you can determine which option is right for you.
Why medication as an anxiety treatment may not be right for you
Like any sort of health issue, medication can be an effective way to reduce your symptoms as a way to manage them on a daily basis. Mental healthcare providers often use medication as one of the first courses of action for anxiety. But it’s not for everyone.
The potential side effects that stem from medication as an anxiety treatment are often the main deterrents for people looking for a solution. Oral antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, can be used to treat a variety of mental health disorders, including anxiety. Many people who have been prescribed an SSRI experience side effects. In a study of approximately 700 people who have taken an SSRI, 38% experienced at least one side effect.
The most common side effects for anxiety medication include:
- Increased agitation.
- Change in appetite or weight.
- Headaches.
- Insomnia.
- Sexual dysfunction.
Your treatments for anxiety without medication
Just because you don’t want to take medication for your anxiety doesn’t mean that you’re out of options. If you want to treat your anxiety without the synthetic chemicals from medication, there are several other anxiety treatments that are worth a try.
Psychotherapy is one of the most common treatments for anxiety. It helps you tackle your disorder in a safe environment. A licensed clinical therapist can help you get to the root of your anxiety. You can talk through your everyday problems that are contributing to your symptoms. They can also help you develop the coping mechanisms and problem-solving skills you need to deal with your anxiety in the future.
Our short-term cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychotherapy approach that focuses on how your thoughts and behavioral patterns contribute to your anxiety symptoms. With CBT, a therapist can help you recognize how your thoughts and behaviors influence each other to cause your disorder symptoms. You can work to change the patterns and decrease your anxiety.
If your anxiety stems from a major depressive disorder diagnosis, then TMS may be the option that you’re looking for. TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation. It’s a neurostimulation therapy that transmits pulses of magnetic energy to underactive areas of the brain that are involved with mood regulation and contribute to symptoms of depression with anxious features.
How to choose a treatment for anxiety without medication
Now that you’ve learned about other anxiety treatments that don’t require medication, it’s time to determine which is right for you. It’s important to discuss the options with your healthcare provider and how each option will benefit your exact needs.
While everyone can benefit from psychotherapy, TMS is geared specifically toward people with treatment-resistant depression and anxious depression. Anxious depression refers to anxiety that stems from a depression diagnosis, not depression symptoms that stem from an anxiety disorder diagnosis.
At Active Path Mental Health, we offer free phone consultations so that you can talk to our knowledgeable team and determine if psychotherapy or TMS is right for you.
Active Path Mental Health can help treat your anxiety without medication
It’s okay if you don’t want to use medication to treat your anxiety. There are plenty of ways that you can manage your symptoms without having to take a pill every day. With treatment options like short-term cognitive behavioral therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation, you can address your mental health to be able to improve your productivity, interpersonal relationships and motivation for the future.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
