Anxiety Treatment Options: How Therapy and Medication Can Help You Regain Control

Anxiety disorders are extremely common, with symptoms that can affect nearly every part of your life, in addition to the toll they take on your health and your quality of life. Persistent feelings of worry, intrusive thoughts, and hypervigilant reactions that keep you always on edge are some of the most common symptoms, but these disorders can cause physical health issues, too.

Fortunately, anxiety disorders are also highly treatable with therapy, medication, or a combination of the two. In this post, Temika Heyward, PhD, FNP, CRNP, PMH, explains how she and her team help patients at Conduit Behavioral Health find effective, real-life solutions for anxiety disorders, and how psychotherapy and medication can both play important roles. 

Managing anxiety disorders

Like depression and other emotional health issues, anxiety disorders are managed with psychotherapy or medication. Each approach offers distinct benefits — and when combined, the types of treatment can enhance one another.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy can be a very effective tool for treating anxiety disorders, particularly a type of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT focuses on the intimate relationship between our thoughts — cognitive processes — and our behavior, in this case, how our thought patterns are related to anxiety symptoms and responses.

During CBT, our team helps you recognize unhealthy thought patterns while developing healthier coping strategies and more balanced responses. Through therapy, you’ll learn practical techniques to manage anxious thoughts and build confidence that helps you navigate stressful situations successfully.

Medication

Like depression, anxiety disorders often respond very well to medication. Both anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants help regulate brain chemistry, reducing the underlying biochemistry that causes symptoms like excessive worry, panic attacks, or constant nervousness.

Combined therapy

For many people, combining both psychotherapy and medications offers the greatest benefits. In addition to providing prompt symptom relief, medication helps your brain be more receptive to the effects of therapy, making it easier to “unlearn” negative anxiety-provoking habits and thought patterns while learning and applying new, healthy patterns. Together, these treatments offer both short-term relief and long-term progress toward better emotional wellness.

Bottom line: Anxiety affects everyone differently, and anxiety treatment is not one-size-fits-all. Our team will work closely with you to develop a plan that meets your needs, helping you find a treatment option that remains effective and tailored to you.

Find the treatment path that works for you

Living with anxiety can feel exhausting, but with the right treatment plan, you can find a path that helps you reduce your symptoms, improve daily functioning, and enjoy a greater sense of calm and control.

Best of all, we offer both in-person therapy and telehealth options so you can choose the path that works for your schedule, lifestyle, and personal preferences. To learn how we can help you get started on a healthier future, request an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Heyward and the team at Conduit Behavioral Health in Baltimore, Maryland, today.