Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can make daily life a real challenge for people who suffer from it. Its symptoms often involve persistent worrying, never being able to relax, trouble paying attention, and constantly thinking about the worst-case scenario during stressful situations.
Needless to say, generalized anxiety disorder is a burden that nobody should have to carry. If you suffer from anxiety, know that you are not alone. It is estimated that over 3 million people in the US are currently afflicted with GAD.
Those suffering aren’t helpless. There are several powerful treatments currently being used by the psychiatric community to fight this debilitating disorder. Read on, and we’ll walk you through some of the most effective ways to treat generalized anxiety disorder.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a popular form of talk therapy. The aim of this treatment is to get to the underlying root of one’s anxiety. Its premise is that anxiety can be partially or completely cured by training our brains to think in a more positive way. Or at least in a more realistic way instead of an extremely negative one.
Cognitive Behavioral therapy often uses a method known as thought challenging. There are three steps to this process. The first is to identify the negative thoughts. This is so that you and your therapist can find where the anxiety is coming from.
The second step is challenging those negative thoughts. Here, the therapist shows you why those negative thoughts are not realistic and instead they are simply your anxiety rationalizing for you.
The final step involves replacing your negative thoughts with realistic ones. When you finally reach this point of the thought challenging process, you will be able to go about your life in a more rational way instead of one consumed by anxiety and worry.
- Anxiety Medication
There are two main types of medications used to treat generalized anxiety disorder. There are anti-anxiety drugs like benzodiazepines, which are often used for short-term purposes. SSRI (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants are typically used for long-term treatments.
Some people find these medications to be extremely helpful. Unfortunately, many of these drugs are known to be habit-forming and should be taken with caution. Recently, the validity of these medications has been called into question with new research suggesting they may not be as effective as previously thought.
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an increasingly popular form of treatment for anxiety and depression. Considered by a growing number of psychiatric professionals to be the best treatment for TMS and Anxiety, this therapeutic procedure is both non-invasive and non-systemic.
When undergoing TMS, a trained professional will place magnets on the right side of your head to treat your anxiety (or the left side to treat depression). The magnets will then pulse, stimulating your neural activity.
While this is going on, patients are fully awake and can watch TV, listen to music, or meditate. When the treatment is done, patients can go back to their normal routine immediately afterward.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is FDA-approved. It is also FDA-indicated for treatment-resistant depression as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder. For anxiety, studies have proven high remission rates. Side effects from TMS are mild if experienced at all.
As you can see, there is a varying spectrum of treatments for generalized anxiety disorder. Keep in mind that if one method doesn’t work for you, there are others that can. When deciding which route to go down, be sure to consider your needs and what you’re comfortable with. And remember, never give up.
