Overcoming Anxiety: How Therapy and Medication Management Work Together

Most health conditions, both physical and mental, benefit from treatment. You might try an antibiotic for an infection, for example. Similarly, you have plenty of treatment options on the table if you’re living with generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or another form of anxiety. 

Balkys Bivins, PhD, and David Rosenthal, MD, have extensive experience helping people living with anxiety. If you want support in overcoming your symptoms, visit us at Monumental Health Partners in Weston or Tampa, Florida. At our office, we can use a psychiatric evaluation to learn about your symptoms. That helps us tailor a treatment plan for you.

We always personalize care for each individual with anxiety. Broadly speaking, though, people tend to see the best results when they use a combination of therapy and medication management. 

First-line anxiety treatment: Therapy

Anxiety disorders are characterized by persistent worry. You might live with pervasive fearfulness, ongoing concern that something bad will happen, and physical tension. 

When you meet with a therapist, you get targeted treatment that’s aimed at rewiring the way you think. Your therapist works with you to gain more control over your worry. 

That starts with helping you understand how your thoughts contribute to your anxiety. Once you start recognizing the pattern in your thinking, you can work with your therapist to try to interrupt the harmful cycle. 

The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that most people with anxiety see symptom improvement with therapy. 

Sometimes, therapy on its own helps people overcome anxiety. If you’re still struggling with symptoms, we can help you explore medication. 

Additional support: Medication

If you’re not seeing the improvement you want with therapy, the dual-pronged approach of therapy and medication can have more notable impacts on your brain. A wide variety of medications have been proven effective to help with anxiety disorders. Each medication works differently. 

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), for example, interact with your brain chemistry, helping to keep more serotonin available for your system to use. That can help to stabilize your mood.

Other medications, like benzodiazepines, work to encourage physical relaxation. If you often feel tense or have other physical symptoms from your anxiety, these might be a good fit alongside your therapy. 

Our team offers medication management to help you find what works for you. With this approach, we work closely with you to improve effectiveness and minimize side effects. 

If you’ve never tried anything for your anxiety, therapy is a great place to start. But if you could use some extra support, a medication management program can provide it.

To explore your treatment options with our team, call the office nearest you or book an appointment online today.