Anxiety Medication/Doctors?

[simka]

I'm just wondering about the fact that if my anxiety/panic attacks get worse I will have to go to the doctor about them but I don't know what they'll do or if they put me on medication, what it'll do? Just need some answers please, by the way I do see CAMHS for this but they can't really help much..

[RiverSong]

It really depends on the individual. There are anxiety medications available but you'd have to be careful with them e.g Benzodiazepines are really short term only.

How are CAMHS not helping? Cause specific therapy is another option along side

[simka]

well CAMHS havent really done much but give me info on panic attacks, I think at some point I'm getting some relaxation techniques but so far nothing seems to help. :/

[Rhea-Billie-Tate]

Relaxation and de-escalation techniques take a fair amount of practice before you begin to notice a difference. You have to practice them when your anxiety is still at a stage where it's bearable, you can't learn to relax in the midst of a panic attack. Once you've had some practice with the techniques whilst you're still in control it will become easier to put them into practice when you're anxiety starts to get out of control.

There's a whole host of medications that the doctor could prescribe for anxiety and they all work in different ways. There are benzos such as diazepam or lorazepam, but as has been said, they are for very short term use because they are very addictive. They can also try certain anti-depressants, anti-histamines or beta-blockers. Anti-histamines are pretty sedating and beta-blockers are used to reduce the physical symptoms of the anxiety such as increased heart rate but don't actually deal with the underlying anxiety.

[roiben]

It sounds like this is something that you could do with talking to your Dr about. It is also worth discussing with the CAHMS, it may well be that asking will help them pick up on starting you on some therapies - maybe ask for an anxiety management course or CBT/DBT all of which can provide useful skills for handling anxiety and there is no harm in chasing up treatment you have been offered.

Be gentle with yourself.

Roiben x