The main fact about anti anxiety medicine is that it is unlikely to cure anxiety disorders effectively and permanently. There is a high risk of recurrence. Now that there are an astonishingly high number of people of all ages suffering from anxiety and depression in America to-day, more and more patients are turning to alternatives for anxiety medication, because of the risks associated with this type of medication. Compared to just fifty years ago, there are about ten times the number of people affected by this debilitating condition which ruins lives and destroys the joy of living.
Many sufferers refuse to accept that they are ill or have a problem and will try to live unhappily with anxiety for many years before they get help. Seeing a psychiatrist seems to be still a taboo in to-day's society and there is still a stigma attached to mental disorders or mental illness. We also know extremely little about how our minds work . In many ways, we are still in the dark ages about this type of treatment.
Many anxiety treatment regimes will opt for both anti anxiety medicine and some sort of psychotherapy or counselling. This seems to work best. There is a problem with the anxiety medication in that its side effects often interfere so much with the patient's mood and well being, that progress is often very slow. Librium, Xanax and Valium are the best known brands of anti anxiety medicine. There are risks associated with this type of medicine which are known by the generic name of benzodiazepines. This type of anxiety medication does not go well with alcohol, people with respiratory problems, liver disease or who have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts. Many patients fall into the latter category so it seems that this type of medication can make matters worse for some unfortunate patients!
We know that in Germany and in many European countries, this type of anti anxiety medicine is frowned upon and people favor herbal remedies for anxiety, especially in Germany where the prescriptions for Prozac for depression account for only 2% of the total prescriptions. The herbal remedies which are a valid alternative to anxiety medication are St. John's Wort, Passion Flower and Valerian. The fact is that this alternative anxiety treatment is now gaining more and more enthusiasts. The side effects are minimal and there are no long term health risks.
