It's recommended to keep taking your medication for at least 12 months if you're benefiting from it. This is meant to help prevent symptoms from getting worse again. After 12 months or so, you and your healthcare provider may decide to continue the medication or to gradually stop taking it.
These drugs can provide temporary relief, but they also come with side effects and safety concerns—some significant. They are also not a cure.
People usually take SSRIs for 6–12 months to treat anxiety and then gradually reduce the dosage. These drugs are not habit-forming, meaning that they do not usually lead to dependence. People should consult a doctor or physician before they start reducing or stopping their medication.
Discontinuation symptoms can include anxiety and depression. Since these may be the reason you were prescribed antidepressants in the first place, their reappearance may suggest that you're having a relapse and need ongoing treatment.
Many people can limit or overcome their anxiety symptoms without medication. If you're experiencing stress, worry, fear, anxiety, racing thoughts, or difficulty sleeping, it can be difficult to cope. A few common ways of handling anxiety without medication are exercise, mindfulness, deep breathing, and therapy.
Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders and affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives. But anxiety disorders are treatable and a number of effective treatments are available. Treatment helps most people lead normal productive lives.
In time, the brain readjusts and people should experience a return to their normal state. If depressive symptoms do arise and gradually worsen, it's best to consult a psychiatrist or doctor, if they don't improve within a few weeks or if they become severe.
It's usually recommended that a course of antidepressants continues for at least 6 months after you feel better, to prevent your condition recurring when you stop. Some people with recurrent illness are advised to carry on taking medicine indefinitely.
Feelings of anxiety are likely to pass with time as we get used to the "new normal" but it's important to do what we can to take care of our mental health. There are lots of things that can help you to manage these feelings and make it easier to adjust.
These medications take effect almost immediately and usually start to wear off within a few hours. They should not be taken daily unless your doctor explicitly recommends it.
Side effects that you may experience with anxiety medication include: Fatigue, tiredness, or drowsiness. Restlessness or agitation. Insomnia or difficulty sleeping.
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For people with chronic or severe depression, medication may be needed on a long-term basis. In these cases, antidepressants are often taken indefinitely. That is, in part, because depression is not an illness that can be cured.
If you experience anxiety
If you have a form of anxiety or phobia, an antidepressant could help you feel calmer and more able to deal with other problems. It could also help you feel more able to benefit from other anxiety treatments, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
If you have anxiety, medication can help because the medicines used for anxiety alter the chemicals in your body and brain, reducing symptoms, and often helping you calm down and focus on other things.
This includes lethargy, headaches, and potentially depression. Other side effects when used for a long period of time include flu-like symptoms, the desire to commit suicide, nausea, problems with sleeping, problems with memory, a change in personality and emotional clouding.
Severe anxiety is when the body's natural responses to anticipated stress exceed healthy levels and interrupt your ability to function and carry out typical day-to-day tasks. The immediate physical symptoms can include a racing heart, changes in breathing, or a headache.
Difficult experiences in childhood, adolescence or adulthood are a common trigger for anxiety problems. Going through stress and trauma when you're very young is likely to have a particularly big impact. Experiences which can trigger anxiety problems include things like: physical or emotional abuse.
Anxiety becomes problematic when it is unexpectedly severe or lasts longer than anticipated after a stressful situation has ended, causes very marked personal upset, or causes someone to be unable to cope with everyday challenges.