Anxiety Treatment
Repeated episodes of anxiety can be scary, exhausting, embarrassing, and painful. Many people with anxiety have symptoms that last for years, and clients getting sober often develop further anxiety problems. One newly sober client feared he was “losing it.” There is no reason for an individual to continue suffering, since new research has revealed a number of beneficial complementary treatments for anxiety disorders. Morningside Recovery’s clinical team sets up a specific treatment approach depending on the type of anxiety disorder and its severity. In general, most anxiety disorders are treated with therapy, medication, or some combination of both. Attacked this way, anxiety disorders respond very well to treatment -- and often in a comparatively short amount of time.
Medications do not cure anxiety. But is it inhuman to deny a person a little relief from the symptoms of anxiety. Research suggests anxiety is caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Morningside Recovery’s clinical team assesses the comprehensive psychological profile of each client when offering medication. A client’s age, sex, body size, body chemistry, diet, physical illnesses and habits such as smoking all come into play when selecting a medication. Some clients may respond better to one medication than another. Just as some people prefer acetaminophen to aspirin, everyone is different when it comes to psychotherapeutic medications. Moreover, the clinical team formulates an individualized treatment plan that takes into account the effect of medication. All prescription medication dispensed at Morningside is supervised by a consulting psychiatrist and psychologist with years of experience in behavioral healthcare.
How long someone must take a psychotherapeutic medication depends on many factors. Some individuals with anxiety take medication for several months and then taper off of it. For others, medication is best taken indefinitely. Along with medication, therapy prods clients to examine their own thinking and how their beliefs affect how they feel and behave. They will explore their personal history to shed light on nonsensical or irrational beliefs. Treatment at Morningside Recovery includes a daily routine of relaxation techniques such as mindful meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, controlled breathing, and visualization exercises. In addition, all therapeutic approaches are supported by daily physical exercise, which is a natural anxiety reliever. Research shows that as little as 30 minutes of exercise three to five times a week can provide significant anxiety relief. Clients are taken to local fitness facilities daily. Clients report that exercising and eating properly, which they were unable to manage on their own, helps reduce their anxiety tremendously.
Untreated anxiety in young adults can be particularly damaging because it gets in the way during a crucial period of social and emotional development. Anxiety seriously affects going to college, starting a career, and friendships. The supportive counseling and group association available at Morningside Recovery can help prevent being left behind. Treatment eases the pain, and deals with the feelings of fear and hopelessness. Treatment seeks to dump the pessimistic ideas and unrealistic expectations that create and sustain anxiety. Clients learn how to accept the life problems that cannot be changed, while building better coping skills that assist in resolving relationship conflicts. Therapy at Morningside helps anxious clients recognize which life problems are critical, and which are minor.
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