When being treated for anxiety, you may be curious why both medication management and psychotherapy are recommended by your psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist. The two approaches to anxiety treatment work together to create a complete and effective therapeutic plan. But, you may still be wondering – how do they work hand in hand?
Medication Management as an Anxiety Treatment
Medication management is an effective approach to anxiety treatment. As medication can help provide control over symptoms. It is used to reduce the intensity and frequency of anxiety attacks. However, the type of medication your prescriber may recommend depends on your symptoms and the severity of your anxiety. Some clients may be concerned about the potential for side effects. This is a valid concern. However, your prescriber will discuss the risks and benefits of any medication they prescribe. It’s important to remember that it can take time for medications to take effect, so patience is key.
As stated, medication is effective at reducing symptoms but it’s short-term. If you stopped taking the medication, your symptoms would likely return. This is why we recommend our clients have a better understanding of their anxiety and develop coping skills that are necessary for their long-term progress. For example, if you are prescribed an anti-anxiety medication, it is important to learn breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to help manage your symptoms that don’t involve medication.
Psychotherapy as an Anxiety Treatment
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is an effective way to gain insight into your thoughts and feelings that lead to anxiety. This will involve you talking with your psychiatrist, therapist, or psychologist about your anxiety and underlying triggers. Through this form of therapy, you will learn to identify patterns in your thoughts and behaviors that contribute to your anxiety. For example, by recognizing and understanding negative thought patterns, you may be able to prevent them from leading to anxiety attacks.
By gaining better insight, you and your provider will be able to help develop skills to better manage your anxiety. This is necessary for long-term success. This can include developing effective coping skills, learning to challenge negative thoughts, and learning new behaviors that are more adaptive when dealing with anxiety-producing situations. For instance, if you’re feeling anxious in a social situation, you can learn to walk away and do something calming that will help manage your feelings.
Benefits of Combining Medication Management and Psychotherapy for Anxiety Treatment
The combination of medication management and psychotherapy may help you to better understand your anxiety, gain insight into it, and develop the skills needed to manage it more effectively over time. When your anxiety treatment plan includes both the two approaches can work together to provide better results than when either approach is used alone.
Medication management works to help your body reduce anxiety symptoms. Whereas psychotherapy works on a psychological level to help you gain insight into your anxiety and develop skills to manage it better. Giving you the best chance at long-term success. They work together, hand-in-hand, to provide an effective and complete treatment for anxiety.
At Agave Psychiatry our skilled team of therapists understands how these treatment modalities work together and want to help you with the treatment for your anxiety.
Remember, Anxiety Treatment is Unique to Each Individual
When being treated for anxiety, it is important to remember that there is no single approach that works for everyone. The best treatment plan for you will be individualized by your psychiatrist, therapist, or psychologist.
Begin Online Anxiety Treatment in Arizona
Being curious about your anxiety treatment options is a great start to healing. If you are struggling with anxiety, or symptoms of anxiety, our team of skilled clinicians is here to help you tailor an anxiety treatment plan that is right for you. At Agave Psychiatry our goal is to provide the best quality care so our clients can develop the skills necessary for long-term progress. Follow the steps below to get started on your journey to healing.
- Get to know our skilled team of Clinicians here.
- Fill out our convenient online mental health contact form here.
- Start your anxiety treatment journey with Agave Psychiatry here!
Other Online Mental Health Services offered at Agave Psychiatry
In addition to anxiety treatment, we also offer a wide variety of other mental health services. These include treatment for Depression, ADHD, Insomnia, PTSD, Eating Disorders, and Nutritional Psychiatry. In fact, we offer online treatment for both adults and children, and adolescents in the state of Arizona.
