How to Deal with Anxiety and Depression

Written by W. Nate Upshaw M.D. on June 18, 2020. Posted in Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health Maintenance, Step-By-Step Guides.

Learning to cope with anxiety and depression can be one of the most difficult, but necessary tasks that someone can take on. It is not uncommon for people to say that “anxiety and depression are taking over their life”, “my life is over”, or “anxiety is ruining my life”. And, in a lot of ways, that could feel very true. Anxiety and depression can be completely overwhelming and debilitating. Fortunately, despite the strong sense that depression and anxiety are ruining your life, they are both treatable mental illnesses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEnEohiBqO0

First, it may help to understand what typical anxiety and depressive episodes can look like. Common anxiety symptoms include:

Feeling nervous, irritable or on edge
Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
Having an increased heart rate
Breathing rapidly, sweating, and/or trembling
Feeling weak or tired
Difficulty concentrating
Having trouble sleeping
Experiencing gastrointestinal problems

Common depressive episode symptoms include:

Persistent sad, anxious or “empty” mood
Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities, including sex
Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling “slowed down”
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
Low appetite and weight loss or overeating and weight gain
Thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts
Restlessness, irritability
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders and pain for which no other cause can be diagnosed.

While a lot of these symptoms can seem overwhelming, and make sense why people would feel like anxiety and depression are ruining their lives, there are many ways to cope with and treat anxiety and depression. Since anxiety and depression are some of the most common mental illnesses, there are a lot of treatments and coping skills available for people to use. However, an even more helpful step than before treatment can be the recognition and acknowledgement that you or a loved one may be struggling with anxiety or depression. Learning skills and seeking help and support can come next.

Mindfulness skills are a great tool to help calm your mind and body when experiencing anxiety and stress. Try these when you’re feeling anxious or stressed: taking deep breaths, counting to ten slowly, and accepting that there will be things that you cannot control. Another great grounding skill is to access your surroundings utilizing all 5 senses. Grounding skills are tactics you can use to help distance yourself from painful emotions, back into the present from a flashback, and into your body more fully. There are numerous grounding skills, and it is important to find which ones work best for you. Some people find mental grounding skills to be preferable over physical grounding skills.

Examples of physical grounding skills include deep breathing, putting hands in cool or warm water to notice the change in temperature and sensation, touching and describing objects around you, utilizing scent to calm you, and stretching your body and tuning in to how that feels. Exercise can be a great outlet for stress and anxiety, as well as a mood booster. Some studies say that in order to get the best benefits from exercise, try to include at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity physical activity (e.g. brisk walking) each week, 1¼ hours of a vigorous-intensity activity (such as jogging or swimming laps), or a combination of the two. Regardless of the amount of time you put into exercise, moving the body is what will help with anxiety and mood. It is also very important to engage in forms of exercise that are enjoyable to you. If you are doing a workout that feels painful or unenjoyable, this is not likely to have a positive impact on your mood, stress levels, or body.

Distraction can be a helpful temporary skill in how to cope with anxiety and depression. Distraction techniques can be taking your mind off of the current situation with music, events, activities, etc. While they can be helpful in the moment, if you are experiencing severe anxiety or depression, this may be less helpful. If there is no follow up in terms of addressing the feelings that you experienced to deploy the distraction, then there will likely be little long term change in mood or anxiety. It can also be incredibly beneficial to get involved in your community. This gives you an opportunity to connect with a mission and message that you support, as well as gives you a break from your normal routine, and potential chance to create new support systems.

Overall, how to deal with anxiety and depression is a long term practice. Overcoming depression and anxiety can include therapy, medication, non-medication interventions, alternative therapies and social connectedness. Make sure to give yourself time and space to help yourself recover if you are living with anxiety and depression.

Treating Depression With TMS Therapy

One specific treatment for depression that is highly effective and produces no side effects is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or TMS therapy. This is a non-invasive brain stimulation therapy that targets the prefrontal cortex with magnetic pulses. These impulses stimulate nerve cells in the prefrontal cortex, as this area is often responsible for controlling mood. Research and clinical trials show that these impulses impact neurotransmitters in the brain and decrease symptoms of depression for an extended period of time. This is an FDA cleared, non-invasive pain-free solution that is covered by most major insurance companies.

This blog post is meant to be educational in nature and does not replace the advice of a medical professional. See full disclaimer.

https://youtu.be/lTXGnLg0C1o

Works Cited

Anxiety and Depression Association of America. (n.d.). Tips | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Retrieved April 3, 2020, from https://adaa.org/tips

Anxiety and Depression Association of America. (n.d.-a). Symptoms | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Retrieved April 3, 2020, from https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad/symptoms

Raypole, C. (2020, February 11). 30 Grounding Techniques to Quiet Distressing Thoughts. Retrieved April 3, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/grounding-techniques#physical-techniques

How PTSD Symptoms Vary in Men and Women

Written by W. Nate Upshaw M.D. on June 18, 2020. Posted in Anxiety, Depression, Step-By-Step Guides.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a long-standing, debilitating mental health disruption that occurs after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. PTSD has the clinical term “disorder” in it, which can be misleading. Having a trauma response to an event that is potentially life threatening, or has caused harm to you or others, is a normal physiological reaction. We are supposed to be on high alert in order for survival. There is nothing “disordered” about it, except for how it impacts your life after the event is over.

https://youtu.be/B-1cDGRQvzo

What events contribute to the development of PTSD may vary, as what someone may consider trauma and have a significant reaction to, others may recover from more easily. Examples of trauma can include: accidents, sudden deaths, physical violence, sexual violence, childhood abuse, war, genocide, natural disaster, terrorism, and generally anything that may put someone’s physical and emotional safety at risk. Signs and symptoms of PTSD include:

Intrusive thoughts or flashbacks of the traumatic event
Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event
Negative thoughts and feelings about self or others
Arousal and reactive symptoms such as irritability, anger, reckless or self-destructive behaviors, startle response, difficulty concentrating or sleeping.

Intrusive thoughts are repeated, involuntary memories of the trauma. Someone may also experience distressing dreams or flashbacks of the traumatic event. Flashbacks of the trauma have the potential to be so vivid and realistic, that people feel they are re-living the traumatic experience or seeing it before their eyes. Often, people will avoid reminders of the traumatic event. This can include avoiding people, places, activities, objects and situations that bring on distressing memories. People may try to avoid remembering or thinking about the traumatic event, or even talking about what happened or how they feel about it. Negative thoughts and feelings may include ongoing and distorted beliefs about oneself or others (e.g., “I am bad,” “No one can be trusted”); ongoing fear, horror, anger, guilt or shame; much less interest in activities previously enjoyed; or feeling detached or estranged from others.

Women are diagnosed with PTSD as twice as often as men – 10% of women are likely to experience PTSD after a trauma versus 4% of men. Statistics say that men are more likely to experience trauma, however, are less likely to have a long standing reaction to the trauma. This could be due to reporting inconsistencies in men versus women, or that diagnostic criteria may skew towards women as culturally, women are more “allowed” to express uncomfortable emotions. Men may be more likely to experience physical trauma such as car accidents and war. Women are more likely to experience sexual assault, childhood abuse, sudden loss of a loved one, etc. Other reasons that women might get PTSD more often than men include that women are more likely to experience sexual assault. Sexual assault is more likely to cause PTSD than many other events. And, women may be more likely than men to blame themselves for their trauma experiences.

While men and women alike can experience any and all identified symptoms of PTSD, women may experience PTSD differently from men. PTSD symptoms in women can be: more likely than men to be easily startled, have more trouble feeling emotions (experiencing significant “numbness”), avoid things that remind them of the trauma, and feel depressed and anxious. PTSD symptoms in men are: more likely to feel anger and have trouble controlling their anger than women, and more likely to have problems with alcohol or drugs as a result of trauma. PTSD in men and women can lead to the development of physical health problems, as well. Women usually experience PTSD symptoms for a longer period of time than men. Statistics show that women can experience symptoms for an average of 4 years versus 1 year for men, before diagnosis and treatment.

It’s also important to note that gender non-binary, gender fluid, or gender non-conforming people also experience high rates of PTSD. They may experience more traumatic experiences, including discrimination, as a result of their gender identity. More research needs to be done on the impacts and symptom expression of non-binary/gender non-conforming individuals.

Trauma does not discriminate against gender. It is equally important that men, women, and gender non-conforming people have their trauma taken seriously. Access to resources to ensure that their mental health is taken care of after extremely distressing events is critically important to a full recovery of PTSD.

This blog post is meant to be educational in nature and does not replace the advice of a medical professional. See full disclaimer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQHyWwYY-P0

Works Cited

American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.-e). What Is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder? Retrieved March 31, 2020, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (n.d.). VA.gov | Veterans Affairs. Retrieved April 1, 2020, from https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/common/common_adults.asp

Posttraumatic stress disorder. (2018, August 28). Retrieved April 1, 2020, from https://www.womenshealth.gov/mental-health/mental-health-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (n.d.-b). VA.gov | Veterans Affairs. Retrieved April 3, 2020, from https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/common/common_women.asp

How to Control OCD

Written by W. Nate Upshaw M.D. on June 10, 2020. Posted in Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health Maintenance.

One of the more common myths about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is that everyone is “a little bit OCD.” Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder takes over a person’s life completely and is not a quirk of personality. Instead, OCD is a common, often severe psychological disorder that affects about 2.3 million adults in the United States. OCD is known for producing intrusive, disturbing and repetitive thoughts (obsessions), coupled with compulsive, ritualistic behaviors. Performing these behaviors temporarily relieves the intense, unbearable anxiety that the obsessions cause.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcLu3lKzxEU

OCD is a chronic, life-long condition that cannot be cured. However, it responds well to treatment, which can greatly reduce its impact on a person’s life. Treatment for OCD involves psychotherapy, medication, or alternative therapies such as transcranial magnetic stimulation.

How to Stop OCD’s Obsessive Thoughts

Treating OCD is a challenge, in part because OCD is a system of disordered control. Attempting to control OCD directly runs a high risk of fueling the very system that generates OCD itself. Consider obsessional thinking. You can’t prevent those thoughts. By their nature, they’re unpredictable and irrational. You can’t argue with them by presenting rational information. With treatment and practice, you can learn to resist performing a compulsive behavior, but you cannot un-think obsessive thoughts. Studies have shown over and over that thought suppression not only fails but generates more anxiety and more compulsive behavior.

Professional Treatment for OCD

Psychotherapy alone is often enough for a person to learn how to break OCD habits. It involves meeting with a mental healthcare professional weekly. One of the best forms of therapy for OCD is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps people learn how their thoughts and emotions shape their behavior. Unlike psychodynamic and other forms of therapy, CBT is focused on getting results and reducing symptoms. It works considerably faster than medication treatment, taking weeks to months, not years. One of the best benefits of CBT is that you learn how to be your own therapist. You can take the techniques you use anywhere.

In particular, a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy called Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP) is ideal for treating OCD. ERP helps people break OCD habits. Compulsive behaviors follow intrusive thoughts, which trigger anxiety that something terrible, something catastrophic will happen unless certain compulsive behaviors are carried out. People perform these behaviors to relieve the anxiety that comes from the fear of these disasters. Although people understand their behavior is illogical, they feel compelled to perform compulsions in order to prevent the imagined disaster from happening. OCD behavior, in that sense, becomes habitual and people get stuck in the OCD cycle.

The feelings of anxiety, even terror, that something terrible is going to happen, are quite real. A person with OCD understands this logically, but that doesn’t help reduce the fear or anxiety. Although compulsive behaviors temporarily remove anxiety, in fact, performing those behaviors reinforces the neurological basis of OCD itself. Compulsive behaviors feed energy into the whole fixed routine, so breaking OCD habits is essential for controlling your OCD.

ERP focuses on habituation; that is, repeated exposure to a stress-producing stimulus causes an incremental decrease in that amount of anxiety the stressor provokes. For example, if a person feels compelled to wash their hands repeatedly for fear of being contaminated after touching a doorknob, a therapist would ask a client to touch a doorknob and refrain from washing their hands.

That’s a simplified example. After all, if the client could refrain from excessive washing, they would. The difference is that in ERP the therapist is present with the client, helping them process their emotions, particularly the anxiety. Exposure is gradually scaled up. At first, the client would work with the therapist in the office but would scale up to going to places like a store with the therapist. The therapist helps the client in each setting to tolerate the stress. Over time, the client learns to resist the urge to perform compulsive behavior on their own.

Controlling OCD is absolutely reliant on gradually eliminating compulsive behaviors. There are many techniques therapists teach clients to tolerate anxiety, including self-distraction. Distracting one’s self allows time to intervene between the emergence of the distressing thought and performing one’s particular compulsion. Anxiety peaks and then drops off, allowing a person to avoid OCD counting, checking, hand washing, and all the other various kinds of rituals.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a newer therapy recently cleared by the FDA for treating OCD and depression. TMS uses powerful magnetic fields to stimulate over-active areas of the brain that lead to obsessive, “stuck” thinking. This leads to a reduction in overall OCD symptoms. The best part of TMS is that it’s pain and side effect free, making it an excellent option for those seeking an effective and hassle-free treatment.

This blog post is meant to be educational in nature and does not replace the advice of a medical professional. See full disclaimer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVi-4AJaxbE

Works Cited

Camprodon-Gimenez, J. (n.d.). Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation-tms-for-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/

Hezel, D. M., & Simpson, H. B. (2019, January). Exposure and response prevention for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A review and new directions. Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6343408

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd.shtml

Penzel, F. (n.d.). 25 Tips for Succeeding in Your OCD Treatment. Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/25-tips-for-ocd-treatment/

Penzel, F. (n.d.). Ten Things You Need To Know To Overcome OCD. Retrieved from https://beyondocd.org/expert-perspectives/articles/ten-things-you-need-to-know-to-overcome-ocd

Does Anxiety Go Away?

Written by W. Nate Upshaw M.D. on June 9, 2020. Posted in Anxiety.

Anxiety is a psychological and physical reaction to situations that are unfamiliar, threatening, stressful or dangerous. Emotionally, anxiety brings feelings of apprehension or fear. Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time, but for some people, it’s a debilitating way of life. When anxiety won’t go away, a person may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. When anxiety gets in the way of living your life and persists for more than six months, you may have an anxiety disorder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUghwzXbmrI

What Are the Types of Anxiety Disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). GAD is common. It’s identified by excessive and unusual levels of apprehension or worry about everyday issues like work, health, relationships, school, and so forth. A person suffering from GAD has no reason for worrying about these issues, but the anxiety exists anyway.

The symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder include:

Irritability
Feeling keyed up, on edge and restless
Poor concentration
Fatigue
Excessive muscle tensions, which may cause muscle aches or headaches
Powerful feelings of worry
Poor sleep, including trouble falling asleep and staying asleep

Panic Disorder. People who endure panic disorder have frequent and unexpected panic attacks. Panic attacks are highly disruptive and sudden episodes of fear that hit and peak within minutes. A person experiencing a panic attack feels in fear of their lives and has serious physical symptoms:

Shaking
Racing heartbeat, heart palpitations
Shortness of breath, a sensation of choking or smothering
A feeling of losing control of themselves
Feelings of impending doom

Panic attacks can be provoked by certain situations, but they can also come out of nowhere. People dread their next attack so much that it can consume their lives. They start avoiding situations where they fear they might have another attack.

Social Anxiety Disorder. People with social anxiety live with a powerful fear of social situations or situations in which they must perform publicly, such as public speaking. They fear that they will be judged harshly and negatively by others, leading to feelings of embarrassment or humiliation. People with social anxiety disorder may go to great -even life-disrupting- lengths to avoid social situations.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD develops after a person survives an extreme emotional or physical trauma. A serious accident, crime, natural disaster or combat can cause PTSD. can develop after a severe physical or emotional trauma such as a natural disaster, serious accident or crime. Symptoms include flashbacks of the trauma, nightmares and frightening thoughts that interfere with a person’s everyday routine for months or years after the traumatic experience.

Agoraphobia. Agoraphobia generates a fear of situations or places in which the person might panic or could not easily escape. An agoraphobic person fears an actual or anticipated situation, such as using public transportation, being in open or enclosed spaces, standing in line, or being in a crowd. People with agoraphobia often develop it after having a panic attack. Afterward, they find it difficult to go to many public places. People with agoraphobia often have trouble leaving their homes.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder. People with OCD experience uncontrollable feelings and thoughts (obsessions) that cause intense levels of anxiety. They perform rituals and routines that lower the anxiety and bring temporary relief. Common examples include compulsive checking or counting and compulsive hand washing.

Can My Anxiety Go Away?

If you’re wondering if your anxiety will ever go away, there’s hope. One of the most popular treatments for anxiety disorders is psychotherapy, which has an effective record for helping people get rid of anxiety. Medication isn’t always necessary when treating an anxiety disorder, but when it is, it needs to be combined with psychotherapy. A psychotherapist can teach you how to make your anxiety go away through Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a form of psychotherapy that helps people figure out what generates their anxiety. CBT also helps people learn how to manage their anxiety cues and defuse them.

CBT focuses on how thoughts and feelings drive anxiety symptoms. Through the cognitive component of therapy, patients learn to understand how their thoughts contribute to their anxiety symptoms. The behavioral component of CBT helps people learn to change those automatic thought patterns and reduce the likelihood and intensity of anxiety symptoms.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is a type of CBT that teaches people with anxiety to become mindful, defusing anxiety as it arises. It focuses on helping you examine the emotions that often drive anxiety. DBT works through the process of learning how to accept often painful emotions and by doing so, prevent anxiety from arising. DBT also teaches distress tolerance, which increases a person’s threshold for tolerance for coping with anxiety.

What If I Suffer From Depression That’s Also Causing Me Anxiety?

If you suffer from depression and as a consequence are experiencing anxiety, consider Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy. This is an FDA cleared non-invasive treatment for depression that uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain that affect mood, which helps you get back to your best life quickly and with no side effects. Among the many treatment options out there, TMS therapy is an excellent, pain-free solution that is covered by most major insurance companies. The best part is there are no side effects associated with TMS therapy, making it an excellent solution.

This blog post is meant to be educational in nature and does not replace the advice of a medical professional. See full disclaimer.

https://youtu.be/1yATiTd_Dyg

Works Cited

Anxiety Disorders. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2020, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

Anxiety.org. (2019, September 25). Anxiety Treatments: Medications, Therapies, Self-Help. Retrieved April 4, 2020, from https://www.anxiety.org/treatments

Kaczkurkin, A. N., & Foa, E. B. (2015, September). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence. Retrieved April 4, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4610618/

Schwartz, J. (2017, February 2). Dialectical Behavior Therapy Treats Anxiety Successfully. Retrieved April 4, 2020, from https://www.anxiety.org/dbt-dialectical-behavior-therapy-compared-to-cbt

Recognizing the Signs & Symptoms of OCD

Written by W. Nate Upshaw M.D. on June 1, 2020. Posted in Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health Maintenance.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a chronic, often severe psychological disorder in which people perform behaviors (compulsions) to prevent or relieve intense anxiety caused by intrusive, repetitive thoughts (obsessions). OCD is relatively common, affecting about 1.2% of the US adult population.

https://youtu.be/oVi-4AJaxbE

The signs of having OCD involve obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors to such a degree that one’s life is harmed. Obsessive thoughts involved in OCD are unwelcome and disturbing thoughts, urges, emotions or mental images that intrude into a person’s consciousness. Compulsions are uncontrollable behaviors a person performs to reduce extremely high – almost unbearable – levels of anxiety. Anxiety is the force driving OCD symptoms.

A few common obsessions include:

Thoughts about harming others
Thoughts about religion
Sexual thoughts
Profound need for order, symmetry, balance or regularity
Fear of being contaminated or sickened
An overwhelming need to count items

It’s crucial to understand that obsessions are unwanted, uncontrollable, distressing and recurrent. They are not part of a delusional system; that is, people understand that their thoughts may be unusual, but they are unable to stop these harmful thought processes or their accompanying behaviors on their own. Compulsions accompany obsessions. They are ritualistic, repetitive behaviors people suffering from OCD feel an irresistible urge to perform to relieve the anxiety accompanying obsessive thoughts.

Common compulsions include:

Washing and cleaning. Washers are afraid of being contaminated. They perform excessive hand washing or excessive bathing.
Arranging. Arranging and ordering items over and over until they meet a particular, overly rigid idea of symmetry or order.
Checking. Repeatedly checking to see doors are locked, appliances are unplugged, windows locked.
Compulsive counting. Counting objects or assigning special significance to certain numbers.
Repeating. Performing the same action repeatedly (e.g., going in and out of the door repeatedly or repeating words out loud).
Tapping/Touching. A person might tap objects a certain number of times or in a particular sequence
Hoarding. Hoarders worry incessantly that something terrible will happen if they discard something, no matter how useless or trivial the item. They may also suffer from compulsive buying, PTSD or depression.
Harm. People fear losing control and harming others or themselves. They may experience intrusive and unwanted violent or sexually explicit thoughts.

We all have routines and when those get upset, we may feel uncomfortable. That’s an important point: OCD compulsions are typically extreme versions of common behaviors. For example, we know that hand-washing is essential for good health, but most people can regulate how much they perform any task. A lack of an ability to regulate one’s behavior is a hallmark of OCD.

People with OCD:

Cannot regulate their thoughts or behaviors. They understand their behaviors are irrational but have little to no control over them.
Do not get any enjoyment or pleasure performing the rituals or behaviors.
Spend hours every day or most days performing ritualistic behavior.
Endure significant distress and disruptions to their lives because of their obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviors.

OCD follows a vicious cycle. In the first stage of the cycle, a person experiences intrusive obsessive thoughts. These thoughts cause an overwhelming surge in anxiety. The person then engages in behaviors that reduce anxiety to a tolerable level, which leads to temporary relief until the obsessive thoughts recur. The compulsive behaviors people perform are not necessarily logically connected to the kinds of thoughts they have.

How Do I Know If I Have OCD Symptoms?

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder find their disorder uncontrollable. It also causes significant problems in their lives. To reach the level of a diagnosable disorder, a person’s life must be severely harmed and affected by their compulsive behaviors. Having the urge to straighten a messy desk or check every lock in the house before going to bed would not meet the criteria for OCD disorder.

Can OCD Go Away?

OCD does not go away on its own. However, with treatment, it can be controlled. There are several exceptionally effective treatments for OCD, including medication, psychotherapy, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). For those seeking treatment that is pain and side-effect free, as well as covered by most insurance, TMS therapy is the best option.

This blog post is meant to be educational in nature and does not replace the advice of a medical professional. See full disclaimer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcLu3lKzxEU

Works Cited

Commissioner, O. of the. (n.d.). FDA permits marketing of transcranial magnetic stimulation for treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-permits-marketing-transcranial-magnetic-stimulation-treatment-obsessive-compulsive-disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-OCD.shtml

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). (2020, March 11). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20354432

What is the Difference Between a Panic Attack, Anxiety Attack, and Heart Attack

Written by W. Nate Upshaw M.D. on May 21, 2020. Posted in Anxiety, Mental Health Maintenance.

When you are experiencing high levels of anxiety or panic, there is an undoubtable fear about your safety and wellbeing. However, while there may be similar physical and emotional sensations between these events, there are distinctive differences in these terms, what they mean, and how they are experienced. There is a difference between a panic attack vs anxiety attack, and a very stark difference between those two events, and a heart attack.

https://youtu.be/j6uuRyH4uc4

A panic attack is an intense period of fear and anxiety that can have environmental triggers, but may also occur without any known warning. These attacks last for about 15-20 minutes on average but can feel a lot longer than that if you are experiencing one. Someone may experience any number of these symptoms when having a panic attack:

Increased heart rate.
Chest pain or discomfort.
Sweating.
Trembling or shaking.
Feeling that you might be choking.
Dizziness.
Chills or overheating.
Nausea.
Fear that you’re dying or going crazy.
Numbness.
A feeling that what’s happening around you isn’t real.

If you experience frequent panic attacks, you may be considered for the diagnosis of panic disorder. Luckily, panic attacks are very treatable. Understanding and recognizing a panic attack can help decrease the frequency and severity of them.

The term anxiety attack is commonly used and is largely considered as interchangeable with the term panic attack. However, there is no clinical diagnosis or term for “anxiety attack” in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM) that clinicians use to diagnose mental health conditions. You can experience high levels of anxiety and worry that extend for a long period of time but are not as intense as a panic attack. In some scenarios, an anxiety attack may be a precursor to a panic attack. Also, anxiety attacks are not necessarily a part of an anxiety disorder. Depending upon the situation, anxiety is a completely natural response to fear or danger. Panic attacks, however, may be a sign of a mental disorder. Simply put, the main difference between panic attacks and anxiety attacks is severity.

A heart attack is a completely different event altogether. If someone is experiencing a panic attack for the first time, it is not uncommon for them to appear in emergency medical departments fearing a heart attack. With symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweating, and shaking, it can appear to be a medical or physiological “problem”. During a heart attack, blood flow to the heart is blocked. The clinical term is myocardial infarction (MI). The interrupted blood flow can ultimately damage or destroy part of the heart muscle. A panic attack, while scary, is not life threatening. A heart attack, or MI, can be life threatening. Common heart attack signs and symptoms include:

Pressure, tightness, pain, or a squeezing or aching sensation in your chest or arms that may spread to your neck, jaw or back
Nausea, indigestion, heartburn or abdominal pain
Shortness of breath
Cold sweat
Fatigue
Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness

It’s easy to see why a panic attack may be considered a heart attack if a panic attack is new and unexpected to someone as there are many similarities. However, there are very different physiological processes at play. Myocardial infarction can be diagnosed or determined through medical testing and may be needed to rule out when determining if it is a panic attack. If this is a new symptom for you, or you have a history of heart problems, visiting an emergency department to determine panic attack or MI may be appropriate.

Treating Depression Linked Anxiety With TMS Therapy

If you’re experiencing panic attacks or have anxiety because of depression, consider treatment via Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). TMS is a non-invasive brain stimulation therapy that targets the prefrontal cortex with magnetic pulses. These impulses stimulate nerve cells in the prefrontal cortex, as this area is often responsible for controlling mood. Research and clinical trials show that these impulses impact neurotransmitters in the brain and decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety for an extended period of time. This is an FDA cleared, non-invasive pain-free solution that is covered by most major insurance companies.

This blog post is meant to be educational in nature and does not replace the advice of a medical professional. See full disclaimer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-R60bMlO44

Works Cited

Cleveland Clinic. (2019, November 27). Are Anxiety Attacks and Panic Attacks the Same Thing? Retrieved January 26, 2020, from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-anxiety-attacks-and-panic-attacks-the-same-thing/

Mayo Clinic. (2018, May 30). Heart attack – Symptoms and causes. Retrieved January 26, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-attack/symptoms-causes/syc-20373106

Rauch, J. (2019, November 15). What’s the Difference Between an Anxiety Attack and Panic Attack? Retrieved January 26, 2020, from https://www.talkspace.com/blog/anxiety-attack-vs-panic-attack-one/

Stopping Panic Attacks: Here’s How

Written by W. Nate Upshaw M.D. on May 21, 2020. Posted in Anxiety, Step-By-Step Guides.

Panic attacks can strike anyone like a bolt from the blue. They are the overwhelming sense of danger, or a feeling of impending death that overrides rationality. Panic attacks are common to those living with anxiety disorders and depression, but there are ways to prevent them from happening. Here you will find out how to stop a panic attack.

https://youtu.be/wZZZAV-EXzU

What is a panic attack and how do I stop it?

A panic attack is a sudden and overwhelming episode of fear accompanied by intense physical reactions. A panic attack is not typically triggered by any consistent threat. They begin without warning and are debilitating. A panic attack can happen anywhere and do not require a particular context to wreck your day.

Panic attacks typically begin suddenly, without warning. They can strike at any time — when you’re driving a car, at the mall, at home, or in the middle of a business meeting. You may have occasional panic attacks, or they may occur frequently. If you’re having frequent panic attacks, you should seek treatment because the condition is quite treatable.

Signs and symptoms include the following:

Fear of loss of control or death
Sense of impending doom or danger
Rapid, pounding heart rate
Sweats
Shakes, all over body shakes or trembling
Feeling a thickness or tightness in the throat
Chills or hot flashes
Chest pain (panic attacks are often mistaken for heart attacks)
Numbness or tingling sensation
Nausea
Cramping
Headache
Dizziness, lightheadedness or faintness
Feeling of unreality or detachment from one’s self.

Stopping a Panic Attack

Controlling your breathing is the first, most crucial step to stopping a panic attack. Panic attacks engage the fight-or-flight response, ramping it from 0 to 100 in seconds. As there’s no real threat in your environment, your body won’t de-escalate the survival response on its own, because there are no cues to tell you the threat has passed. You have to take direct control by slowing your breathing and quickly acting to stop a panic attack. To that end:

Take slow, deep breaths. Use your stomach muscles to contract your diaphragm. To make sure you’re using your diaphragm, place your hand on your upper abdomen. Let your hand lie there with no pressure and allow it to rise up and fall down as you breathe. Inhale for 5 seconds, pause for 1 or 2 seconds, then exhale for 5 seconds. Do not hold your breath for more than a few seconds.
Ground yourself in your surroundings by using your senses. Look around. What do you see? Where are you? What can you hear? Do you smell anything? What can you touch? A panic attack usually leads to racing thoughts. By switching your focus from your internal state of fear to that of an observer, you can de-escalate a panic attack.
Reassure yourself that you are safe. Use self-talk to comfort yourself. Remind yourself that this is a panic attack. It’s ok to be scared but you are safe, you are in no danger, and you’re going to be just fine.
Keep up that deep breathing until your heart rate returns to a normal beat.

What are Anxiety Attacks?

Anxiety attacks are somewhat similar to panic attacks, except anxiety attacks lack the fear of imminent death and the fear of a loss of control. They also don’t involve a sense of unreality or depersonalization. Unlike a panic attack, anxiety attacks can last off and on for days.

Treating Depression-Linked Anxiety With No Side Effects

If you have depression and have also been having anxiety because of it, consider treatment via Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). This is an FDA cleared non-invasive treatment that uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain that affect mood, which helps you get back to your best life quickly and with no side effects. Among the many treatment options out there, TMS therapy is an excellent, pain-free solution that is covered by most major insurance companies. The best part is there are no side effects from TMS therapy, making it an excellent solution for those who fear the side effects of certain medication.

This blog post is meant to be educational in nature and does not replace the advice of a medical professional. See full disclaimer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6uuRyH4uc4

Works Cited

How to stop a panic attack. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-stop-a-panic-attack

Panic disorder: When fear overwhelms. (n.d) Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms/index.shtml

Panic attacks and panic disorder. (2018, May 4). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021

5 Steps to Take When You’ve Been Diagnosed With Depression or Anxiety

Written by W. Nate Upshaw M.D. on May 21, 2020. Posted in Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health Maintenance, Step-By-Step Guides.

Sometimes a diagnosis of depression or anxiety brings more questions than answers. However, there is no need to panic! These disorders are highly treatable. Depression and anxiety disorders are not character failings and they are not over-exaggerations. They are psychological disorders that have a basis in the brain’s unique biology. Although depression and anxiety cannot be cured, these disorders can be successfully treated. Here, we give you the steps you should take when you have been diagnosed with depression or anxiety.

https://youtu.be/GOcrDcXO31s

I’ve just been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. What should I do?

Recognizing you have depression and anxiety is the first big step. Then you can focus on creating a plan to deal with the diagnosis. Of course the best you can do is get help from a specialist that can guide you and help you determine what the right treatment is for you. You can always get a second opinion after getting diagnosed, especially when it comes to deciding what next step you should take for treatment.

Get a referral if you need one. If you have been diagnosed by a general practitioner, ask for a referral to see a psychiatrist or mental healthcare professional, such as a psychologist or counselor. Some general practitioners feel comfortable prescribing psychiatric medication, but most will advise you to see a specialist, which in most cases is a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists may or may not provide therapy, but they will be able to prescribe psychiatric medication for you.
Start psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is essential when learning to live with depression or anxiety. Psychotherapy is a talking therapy; a mental healthcare professional will work with you to help you learn new ways to cope, manage depression and reduce your anxiety. A common kind of psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, helps you challenge negative thought processes while learning better ways to approach problems and challenges in life.
Get the facts about anxiety and depression. Although your doctor can diagnose you, there’s still a lot of information to be learned. Your therapist can help you get the facts about anxiety and depression. When reading up on your own, make sure that the sources you’re investigating are based in fact.
Take a lifestyle inventory. Depression and anxiety can be worsened by many aspects of the environment we live in. Good mental health is an all-inclusive proposition, in that everything that’s in our lives affects it. What we eat, what we drink and how active we are affects our mind, our mood and our outlook. Although our diet and activity level s do not cause depression, it’s a recognized fact that a healthy diet and at least some daily exercise can improve a person’s mental state. With that said, consider your diet. What do you eat and drink daily? Think about how often you’re in sustained movement. Do you walk 10 minutes a day without stopping? Less? More?
Make changes. Changing your lifestyle can be hard, but it is possible. Your doctor or mental health professional can help you make those changes. Eating better and exercising will not cure depression and it will not eliminate your symptoms. However, your health affects your mood in ways that aren’t always easy to see. Research in mood disorders consistently shows that regular exercise and good eating habits are associated with lowered levels of depression.
Be compassionate with yourself. If you have been asking yourself “Is it depression or am I over-reacting?”—stop. You’ve been diagnosed with depression. It’s time to treat yourself with the kindness and compassion you would show your best friend if that special friend had received this diagnosis.
Observe and follow your doctor’s and therapist’s instructions. The most important step in any mental healthcare plan is to follow your doctor or mental healthcare professional’s instructions. There’s no room to improvise with your medications on your own when you are living with depression or anxiety. Follow your doctor’s instructions for medication and how to take it precisely. Never get creative with your medication dosages or schedule. Psychiatric medication has to reach a particular concentration in your bloodstream to be effective, which can take several weeks. This therapeutic level will be thrown off if you skip your medications even for a few days.

Treating Depression Related Anxiety With No Side Effects

If you’ve just been diagnosed with depression and anxiety and are concerned about the many side effects of medications, consider treatment via Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). This is an FDA cleared non-invasive treatment that uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain that affect mood, which helps you get back to your best life quickly and with no side effects. Among the many treatment options out there, TMS therapy is an excellent, pain-free solution that is covered by most major insurance companies. The best part is there are no side effects from TMS therapy, making it an excellent solution for those who fear the side effects of medications.

This blog post is meant to be educational in nature and does not replace the advice of a medical professional. See full disclaimer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6zVPOc5C38

Works Cited

Anxiety Disorders. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml#part_145338

Robinson, K. M. (2016, April 8). What to Do When Depression and Anxiety Mix. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/anxiety-depression-mix#1

Ströhle, A. (2008). Physical activity, exercise, depression and anxiety disorders. Journal of Neural Transmission, 116(6), 777–784. doi: 10.1007/s00702-008-0092-x

Tartakovsky, M. (2018, July 8). Newly Diagnosed? What You Need to Know About Depression. Retrieved from https://psychcentral.com/blog/newly-diagnosed-what-you-need-to-know-about-depression/

How to Deal with an Anxiety Episode

Written by W. Nate Upshaw M.D. on April 23, 2020. Posted in Anxiety, Step-By-Step Guides.

One of the many unpleasant aspects of living with chronic anxiety is experiencing an anxiety episode. An anxiety episode can derail your whole day, make you feel out of control, and can digress all the way to a full-blown panic attack. That’s why it’s important to learn how to identify the symptoms of an anxiety episode and how to handle the situation in the most calm and collected way. Here’s how you can deal with an anxiety episode.

What is an Anxiety Episode?

First off, let’s define what an anxiety episode is. Anxiety episodes or anxiety attacks are characterized by feelings of overwhelming fear and worry that often come out of nowhere. They’re not as intense as a panic attack, but that’s no consolation when you’re having an episode. Anxiety episodes are extremely intense and accompanied by physical symptoms like shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, and a racing heartbeat.

Anxiety episodes and panic attacks are slightly different phenomena. Panic attacks are known for being pretty scary. People feel as if they are in imminent danger of dying or losing control of themselves. Anxiety episodes can last hours or days. They have the following characteristics:

Tense, tight muscles
A sense of worry, dread or apprehension
Feelings of distress
Trouble concentrating, going blank easily
Irritability
Restlessness or feeling fidgety, on edge
Fear (fear may not be attached to a particular situation)
Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
Shortness of breath, chest pain
Choking sensation or constricting throat
Tingling or numbness
Sweats
Stomach cramps or nausea
Dry mouth
Trembling
Headache
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded

It’s important to note that you don’t need to have all or even most of these symptoms to be experiencing an anxiety episode.

Stopping Anxiety Attacks

With practice, you can learn how to stop an anxiety attack before it intensifies further. Here are some key techniques and practices that can help get you back on track.

Take deep belly breaths. When we’re stressed and anxious, we tend to use the top quarter of our chest to breathe. This allows rapid but shallow breathing that doesn’t get enough oxygen into our bloodstream, thus causing us to breathe faster and faster. You can start to get control over an anxiety episode by slowing and deepening your breathing. Breathe from the middle of your body by constricting your diaphragm. Lay your hand on your stomach and think of making your hand rise up and down on your inhalations and exhalations. Inhale for 5 seconds, hold for 1 or 2 seconds, then exhale for 5 seconds.
Reassure yourself. Tell yourself that you are safe. Remind yourself that you’re having anxiety and that anxiety often tends to make us believe our situation is worse than what it actually is.
Challenge your thinking. Anxiety often comes from looping, repetitive, distressing thoughts. Interrupt them with a stop word, which can be “stop!” or any other word that will get your attention. You can use any short word that’ll break through the tide of fear and worry and let you circle back to reassuring yourself that you’re safe and that you’re experiencing an episode of anxiety.
Ground yourself in the here-and-now. Use your senses and observe your surroundings. What do you see? What can you touch? What do you hear? Can you smell anything? Doing these things will ground you back into your senses and will help control that anxiety attack.
Get moving. If you can, get in motion. A short walk, even 10 or 15 minutes, can help you calm your thoughts. Feelings of restlessness can be reduced when you move around.

Anxiety attacks can co-occur on top of chronic, lower-level anxiety. They can become a brief worsening of an ongoing anxiety disorder, too. Figuring out what situations and stresses contribute to your anxiety episodes is an essential first step to getting long-lasting relief.

Consider the following two-step process for reducing daily anxiety:

Figure out your triggers. Meeting with a therapist is a great way to figure out what situations and contexts really set your anxiety levels through the roof. Some triggers might be easy to find but others may require some work to identify. Anxiety isn’t always about imminent threats. Anxiety can easily arise from long-term situations that have never been resolved. These are some common anxiety triggers:
- Stressful work environment
- Health issues (yours or a loved one’s)
- Money
- Intimate relationships
- Family conflict
- Past trauma
- Existing mental health issues
Learn new coping skills to manage your triggers. This is another task made much easier by visiting a mental healthcare professional. There are many excellent approaches to reducing and eliminating anxiety episodes. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how what we believe affects our behaviors. It’s often our beliefs about events that affect us more profoundly than the events themselves. Much of chronic anxiety consists of deeply established negative thoughts. Learning to challenge those thoughts can help reduce unbearable levels of anxiety.

Treating Depression-Linked Anxiety With No Side Effects

If you suffer from depression and are experiencing anxiety because of it, consider Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy. This is an FDA cleared non-invasive treatment for depression that uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain that affect mood, which helps you get back to your best life quickly and with no side effects. Among the many treatment options out there, TMS therapy is an excellent, pain-free solution that is covered by most major insurance companies. The best part is there are no side effects associated with TMS therapy, making it an excellent solution.

This blog post is meant to be educational in nature and does not replace the advice of a medical professional. See full disclaimer.

Works Cited

CBT for Panic Attacks Panic Attack Treatment Without Medication. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://cogbtherapy.com/cbt-for-panic-attacks

Symptoms. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/panic-disorder-agoraphobia/symptoms

Tips. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://adaa.org/tips

Wells, A. (1990). Panic disorder in association with relaxation induced anxiety: An attentional training approach to treatment. Behavior Therapy, 21(3), 273–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0005-7894(05)80330-2

The Side Effects of Anxiety Medications

Written by W. Nate Upshaw M.D. on March 26, 2020. Posted in Anxiety, Mental Health Maintenance.

All anxiety medications come with a long list of potential side effects. The side effects of anxiety medications, also called anxiolytics, include sleepiness, fatigue, and a slowing of mental functioning. Depending on their class, these medications may also be habit-forming or even addictive. They can help level out panic attacks and reduce anxiety attacks to a manageable level. Some can produce lasting relief, while others shouldn’t be used for more than a short-term period.

What Are Common Classes of Anxiety Medications?

If you’re exploring how to find the right anxiety medication, it’s important to learn all you can about them. Physicians prescribe fast-acting anxiety medications to reduce either the immediate effects of an anxiety attack or to work over the long term to reduce day to day anxiety that’s uncomfortable but doesn’t rise to the urgency of a panic attack or anxiety attack. Some of the most common medications include Valium and Xanax.

Four major classes of medications are used in the treatment of anxiety disorders. They include benzodiazepines, Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), and Tricyclic Antidepressants. The side effects of anti-anxiety medications vary from class to class. They also differ from medication to medication within each class.

Benzodiazepines. Most people have heard of at least some of the medications in this class. These anxiety medications became common in the 1960s and are still given today. The difference between benzodiazepines and antidepressant medication for anxiety is that benzos work within minutes to hours. Other classes of medications can take days to several weeks to become effective.

Benzodiazepines are used for the short-term treatment of anxiety. They are not antidepressants and work only to produce relaxation, promote sleep and reduce anxiety. Long-term use causes habituation, in which a person requires ever-increasing dosages of the medication to achieve the same results as a lower dose. Benzodiazepines are habit-forming, may cause physical dependence and have the potential to be addictive. They include :

Restoril, Normison (temazepam). Temazepam is given to treat insomnia and starts working within 30 minutes. Temazepam is also given for the management of panic attacks.
Valium (diazepam). Diazepam is a fast-acting benzodiazepine. Valium is given for sleep and anxiety, and for withdrawal caused by alcohol and other addictive substances. Its effects range from 1 to 3 days.
Xanax (alprazolam). Alprazolam is a fast-acting anxiety medication and lasts from 12 to 20 hours. Alprazolam is given for the immediate relief of panic attacks and anxiety attacks that are underway.
Klonopin (clonazepam). Clonazepam’s effects begin within an hour and can last from 12 hours to a day.
Temesta, Ativan (lorazepam). Ativan begins to work within 1 hour, and lasts as long as 8 hours. It’s given for anxiety disorder and the relief of anxiety symptoms over the short-term. Lorazepam is given for anxiety associated with depression and stress-associated insomnia.

Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs). The SNRI class increases norepinephrine and serotonin, two important neurotransmitters. SNRIs are given for anxiety and depression and may cause side effects. SNRI side effects can include upset stomach, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, headache or a small increase in blood pressure. SNRIs are effective for long-term treatment for anxiety disorders. SNRI brand names include Effexor (venlafaxine), Effexor XR (extended-release), Pristiq (desvenlafaxine), Cymbalta (duloxetine), Savella (milnacipran), and Fetzima (levomilnacipran)

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs help depression and anxiety by allowing serotonin to remain active longer in the brain. Higher serotonin levels improve mood and reduce anxiety by increasing levels of the brain chemical GABA. GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid) prompts feelings of well-being and calmness. SSRI brand names include Zoloft (sertraline), fluoxetine (Prozac), Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro (escitalopram), Paxil (paroxetine) and Luvox (fluvoxamine).

Tricyclic Antidepressants. Tricyclic antidepressants include amitriptyline, imipramine, and nortriptyline. They’re effective for some anxiety disorders, like Generalized Anxiety Disorder, but not others. They can cause serious side effects, including dry mouth, blurry vision, urinary retention, constipation and orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure on rising).

Common Anti-Anxiety Medication Side Effects

All anti-anxiety medications have side effects. Of the classes of anti-anxiety medications, only benzodiazepines are fast-acting. However, benzodiazepines also carry a serious risk for addiction. Benzodiazepines are effective over a short term period, typically less than 4 weeks. All classes of anti-anxiety medications require a doctor’s guidance to stop, as abruptly quitting these medications after taking them for a week or longer can cause severe, even temporarily debilitating side effects.

Benzodiazepine side effects

Restoril (temazepam, Normison) side effects. Temazepam side effects include dry mouth, nausea, muscle weakness, confusion and irritability. Restoril is powerful and has a high potential of abuse.

Valium (diazepam) side effects. Some of the most common side effects after taking diazepam include drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, memory problems, nausea, dry mouth, slurred speech and blurred vision.

Xanax (alprazolam) side effects. Similarly, taking alprazolam can cause drowsiness, dizziness, insomnia, memory problems, poor balance, difficulty concentrating, and slurred speech among others.

Klonopin (clonazepam) side effects. Clonazepam’s effects include dizziness, muscle aches, blurred vision, fatigue, depression, nervousness, and confusion. Additionally it can increase suicidal thoughts and behavior.

Temesta. Temesta’s side-effects include drowsiness, hyperactivity, nausea, fainting and skin rashes. Temesta can cause memory impairment.

Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRI) Side Effects

SNRI side effects can include upset stomach, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, headache or a small increase in blood pressure. SNRIs can take days to weeks to start working, so they are not effective for a panic attack or anxiety attack that is underway. They work to prevent anxiety attacks from happening at all.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) Side Effects

SSRI side effects include nausea, sleep problems, problems having sex, tremors and in some cases nervousness. Like SNRIs, SSRIs do not work instantly. Once they have reached a therapeutic level in a person’s body, they can prevent uncomfortable levels of anxiety arising.

Tricyclic Antidepressant Side Effects

Tricyclic antidepressants may cause serious side effects, including dry mouth, blurry vision, urinary retention, constipation and orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure on rising).

Treating Depression-Related Anxiety With No Side Effects

If you want to beat anxiety that stems from depression and you’re concerned about the many side effects of medication, consider treatment via Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). This is an FDA cleared non-invasive treatment for depression and OCD, as well as any anxiety related to depression. TMS therapy uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain that affect mood, which helps you get back to your best life quickly and with no side effects. Among the many treatment options out there, TMS therapy is an excellent, pain-free solution that is covered by most major insurance companies. The best part is there are no side effects from TMS therapy, making it an excellent solution for those who fear the side effects of certain medication.

This blog post is meant to be educational in nature and does not replace the advice of a medical professional. See full disclaimer.

Works Cited

Benzodiazepines: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions & Warnings. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.drugs.com/article/benzodiazepines.html#side-effects

Dellosso, B., Buoli, M., Baldwin, D. S., & Altamura, A. C. (2010). Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) in anxiety disorders: a comprehensive review of their clinical efficacy. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 25(1), 17–29. doi: 10.1002/hup.1074

Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). What are the real risks of antidepressants? Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what-are-the-real-risks-of-antidepressants

Papakostas, G. I., Thase, M. E., Fava, M., Nelson, J. C., & Shelton, R. C. (2007, December 1). Are antidepressant drugs that combine serotonergic and noradrenergic mechanisms of action more effective than the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in treating major depressive disorder? A meta-analysis of studies of newer agents. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17588546

Thase, M. E., Entsuah, A. R., & Rudolph, R. L. (2001). Remission rates during treatment with venlafaxine or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. British Journal of Psychiatry, 178(3), 234–241. doi: 10.1192/bjp.178.3.234

The most commonly prescribed type of antidepressant. (2019, September 17). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/ssris/art-20044825

What Are the Best Medications for Anxiety. Everyday Health. (2018, January 31). Retrieved from https://www.everydayhealth.com/anxiety/guide/medications/

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