Depression Anxiety Medication

Depression, Anxiety, Medication and Therapy have a long way to go to discover optimal treatment plans for the 40 million people that suffer from anxiety disorders. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) (www.adaa.org) reports in their study "The Economic Burden of Anxiety Disorders" that anxiety disorders cost the US more than 42 billion dollars per year. One-third of the anxiety patients suffer from social anxiety disorder, which is almost equally experienced by men and women.

Depression is almost always a part of any anxiety disorder, and often patients turn to substance abuse because their symptoms go unrecognized. Medications are often improperly prescribed for physical symptoms in anxiety disorders that are actually a result of the anxiety, without giving thought to combine treatment for anxiety medication, depression and therapy.

Fortunately, a recent study by the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute, Inc. discovered that one-fifth of the patients seen by a doctor suffer from an anxiety disorder. Moreover, even though they previously believed depression was more common than anxiety, the study proved otherwise. Since this fact has been brought to light, health organizations are now formulating procedures for doctors to recognize symptoms of anxiety with depression in their patients, so any medication prescribed will consider the psychological and the physical effects, and a referral can be made to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist. Many medications have anxiety and depression as side-effects, therefore the knowledge, awareness and integration of treatment between general physicians and mental health professionals is important.

How can one cure depression and anxiety - "Depression Anxiety Medication"?

  • Medication for anxiety doesn't necessarily cure the anxiety disorder, it merely controls it. However in many cases, psychotherapy without medication can cure depression.

  • Medications prescribed for anxiety include anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and beta-blockers. Anti-depressants work slowly to change the processes occurring in the brain, and they often take up to six weeks to even begin showing any type of result or change in behavior.

  • Benzodiazepine is an anti-anxiety drug with low side-effects, aside from drowsiness, however Benzodiazepine is not advised to be prescribed to anyone with a history of substance abuse. Benzodiazepines are usually prescribed in low doses. Withdrawal is commonly experienced when stopping Benzodiazepines. Some people experience withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking Benzodiazepines abruptly instead of tapering off, and anxiety can return once the medication is stopped. These potential problems have led some physicians to shy away from using these drugs or to use them in inadequate doses.

  • Clonazepam, lorazepam, alprazolam, buspirone are other anti-anxiety medications used for various anxiety disorders. Although many medications are available, if a doctor is not aware of a patient's overall psychological and physical conditions, the medications will not serve the intended effect.

Depression, Anxiety, Medication and Therapy need to be looked at and considered as a whole for optimal patient treatment. If doctors can equally recognize physical and mental illnesses, and work with mental health providers to work on an integrated patient treatment plan, then perhaps depression disorders will be recognized and treated sooner, and the 42 billion dollar a year burden spent on anxiety disorders can be lifted.