Treatment Of Anxiety And Depression With Prescription Medications - The Pros And Cons

Have you recently been diagnosed with anxiety or depression? Have you and your doctor been considering prescription medications as treatment for anxiety and depression? The decision to use prescription drugs is largely a personal choice. It's important to weigh all of the options before deciding to use prescription medications, or avoid them all together.

Treatment for anxiety and depression can come in many forms. Often a combination of treatment options brings you the best results. For example, therapy, prescription medications, and alternative treatment options all have their positives and negatives. Again, such a combination might be the best solution for you.

The thought that a pill a day keeps anxiety and depression away may be a tempting marketing slogan. Although prescription medications can have positive results, they typically will not alleviate all symptoms associated with anxiety and depression.

What are some of the "cons?"

Realistically, prescription drugs take time. It can take four weeks or more for the medication to reach its full potential. In other words, it takes that long for the patient to feel the full effect of the medication. Furthermore, finding just the right medication, or combination of medications, is not usually accomplished on the first attempt.

The process of finding the proper dosage can be a series of trial and error before your doctor finds the treatment that works best for you.

But before taking a new medication as treatment for anxiety and depression, educate yourself about potential side effects. Antidepressant medications typically have a number of potential side effects.

And some patients find these side effects are significant enough that they stop taking the medication. Symptoms can vary from person to person. Severity can be as serious as suicidal tendencies, or as mild as dry mouth.

On the "pro" side, cognitive therapy seems to have a higher success rate for patients as treatment for anxiety and depression than medication alone on a long-term basis. For this reason, patients may choose to create a treatment plan that couples therapy and medication for even greater results.

The medication can help to provide quicker results, but the therapy will be the catalyst that brings relief on a more permanent basis. Only you and your doctor can decide together what treatment options are best for you.

When the right balance of prescription medications and other treatment options is used, patients often feel a great sense of relief, joy, and overall improvement in their lives. Proper treatment can make all the difference in the world.

There's no single right or wrong answer when it comes to the personal decision you're trying to make about your treatment for anxiety and depression. Create a plan with your doctor and recognize that it's a guideline for progress. Should you change your mind at a later time about your treatment options, that's acceptable and quite common.

And please, always speak to your doctor before beginning or ceasing a new treatment for anxiety and depression. Only you and your doctor know what's best for your specific circumstances.