It used to be that persons suffering from anxiety have resorted to over the counter medication to treat their conditions. These medications may give the patient temporary relief from their symptoms, it still cannot address the root of the problem. They also have side effects that may impede the person’s daily activities, as well as possible addiction, if not complete dependence on the drug itself.
To those who want to resolve their anxiety problems, one has to have full commitment to recovery. Otherwise, he will just resort to over the counter medication to give him temporary relief from the causes of anxiety. As he returns to his normal condition, he will still continue to live in fear of another anxiety attack, therefore, will again have to rely on the short-term solution of taking the prescription drug. Taking a drug to calm his nerves and then again taking drugs to keep him energized may be a vicious, and eventually, dangerous, cycle. Alternative approaches to treating anxiety have proven to be most effective since it treats the real cause of the problem. It may have to take a major lifestyle change and a long-term commitment on the part of the patient and to those who surround him, but the results are more permanent and natural.
Several anti-anxiety programs offer self-help techniques and alternative steps to help the person overcome their condition without the side effects that result from taking over the counter medication. As each person has a different form of coping with stress each program is specifically designed to meet his need. Although it may not be the “cure” to the problem, psychotherapy programs can help a person identify the causes of their anxiety, manage stress levels and suggest possible ways they can continue with their everyday lives even when experiencing pre and post anxiety attacks.