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Long Term Effects Of Anxiety Medications Are Troublesome
from:Anxiety disorders are almost always treated at some point with medications. People who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress or any of the other classes of this condition, however, will generally find that medications are not used as the only line of defense. Since the long term effects of anxiety medications can be very troublesome, most patients and their physicians prefer they only be used during acute situations or as stop-gap measures.
Why Medications Are Important
While the long term effects of anxiety medications are worth watching out for, these drugs do have their place. They are very often used in acute situations to give patients near immediate relief from their symptoms.
Drugs like Xanax and Valium can have an almost immediate impact on acute anxiety. For example, a person in the midst of an acute episode will find relief in less than two hours in most cases. Because these medications can ease the symptoms and enable patients to focus on other coping mechanisms, they are considered incredibly useful for short-term, even emergency use. They may sometimes be called for over a short duration for everyday use, especially if the effects of anxiety are very high or are causing patients problems with daily routine.
What Are The Effects
The long term effects of anxiety medications are precisely why they are typically only indicated for short use. These medications are technically depressants, which means they can cause addition. To avoid addiction problems, most doctors only prescribe drugs like Librium and Ativan for temporary use. Beyond addiction, some other long term effects of anxiety medications can also center on memory loss.
In the short term, anxiety medications can also have some unpleasant side effects. Since these medications are depressants, people taking them might experience drowsiness, dizziness and fatigue. Other side effects include such things as stomach upset, headaches and sexual problems.
Avoiding Long Term Effects Of Anxiety Medications
Patients who suffer from anxiety disorders are often prescribed these medications to help them alleviate symptoms in the short term. They are generally prescribed along with other forms of therapy, including psychotherapy.
To avoid long term effects of anxiety medications, patients are strongly advised to learn coping techniques that do not involve drug interventions. These are generally taught in therapy sessions and can also be added to through meditation, relaxation and other self-help methods.
Living with anxiety disorders can be a very difficult path to say the least. While medications are useful in treating some of the symptoms, they are not generally the best route to take for the long haul. To avoid the long term effects of anxiety medications, patients are often urged to take advantage of other forms of therapy available to them.
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