Test Stress

Stress: Best Treatments for Stress

Psychotherapy and medication

What can people do to get better? Two types of treatment are helpful: ‹‹ psychotherapy and medication. For some people, psychotherapy alone or medication alone is enough. For others a combination of the two is the best approach.

How would someone decide that?

Discuss this with your health care‹ provider. ‹In general, psychotherapy alone may be best for you if your symptoms are milder or if you prefer not to, or should not take medications due to pregnancy or a medical condition.

When is medication needed?

• If your symptoms are severe or have lasted a long time
• If you have another mental health problem, such as depression or anxiety, that is making it hard for you to recover
• If you are thinking about suicide
• If you are having major problems functioning
• If psychotherapy alone hasn’t worked

Medication Treatment for Stress

No medication has been shown to fully treat all stress symptoms. However, two of the newer antidepressants have proven effective in reducing enough of the core symptoms of stress to receive FDA approval for stress treatment.

Treating coexisting psychiatric conditions that are responsive to medications, particularly depression, can be very helpful with enhancing coping with stress.

Sequencing and combining medications

Since an antidepressant will frequently only partially treat symptoms, clinicians will work with individual patients around medications that might be added to gain better symptom control.

The first step is identifying which symptoms of stress are the most bothersome to the functioning of the individual. For example, some patients most want improved sleep while others want more relief from their daytime overall tension.

More about combining medications

The medical literature does cite case examples of numerous medications that on an individual basis might be beneficial. Clinicians work individually with patients to try to add medications that are effective in treating targeted symptoms while trying to minimize side effects.

Medications to Treat Stress Symptoms

The following drugs and medications are in some way related to, or used in the treatment of stress and anxiety. Drug class: antidepressants, selective, serotonin, reuptake, inhibitors.

Drug name	Generic name
Celexa	citalopram systemic
Prozac	fluoxetine systemic
Citalopram	citalopram systemic
Sertraline	sertraline systemic
Fluoxetine	fluoxetine systemic
Paxil	paroxetine systemic
Amitriptyline	amitriptyline systemic
Venlafaxine	venlafaxine systemic
Paroxetine	paroxetine systemic
Prozac Weekly	fluoxetine systemic
Luvox	fluvoxamine systemic
Prazosin	prazosin systemic
Fluvoxamine	fluvoxamine systemic

Alternative Treatments: Stress & Anxiety

The following products are considered to be alternative treatments or natural remedies for Anxiety and Stress: Kava and Valerian. Their efficacy may not have been scientifically tested to the same degree as the drugs listed above.

However there may be historical, cultural or anecdotal evidence linking their use to the treatment of Anxiety and Stress.

Psychotherapy to Treat Stress Symptoms

Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, is a treatment in which people work with trained behavorial health providers to discuss their stress problems and learn new skills.

Cognitive therapy (CT)

This stress therapy is based on the idea that our thinking patterns influence our emotions. Cognitive therapy involves identifying and changing problematic thinking patterns and belief swhich cause anxiety, such as beliefs about danger a person may have since living through a trauma. For example, if you believe that people want to harm you, you might be very uncomfortable in crowds or other public areas where you can’t watch everyone.

Exposure therapy (ET)

This stress therapy is based on the idea that we learn to fear situations and things that were associated with a trauma. We also usually avoid these situations and things, even trying not to think about them. Exposure therapy involves thinking about or actually being in situations which trigger anxiety reactions, such as being near a crowd. After repeatedly picturing these situations or being in them, the situations gradually lose their ability to trigger anxiety.

Relaxation techniques

These techniques are usually involved learning and practicing techniques that have been shown to lower your anxiety or stress levels. Several techniques such as meditation, progressive muscle relaxation or deep breathing exercises have been proven to reduce anxiety. Using these techniques will help to keep your anxiety level down and make it easier to complete other parts of therapy.

Education about stress

This stress therapy usually involves learning about the disorder, including the symptoms, theories about what causes stress, information on how to cope with reactions you’re experiencing and what treatments have been shown to be effective.

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