MoodRx Clinical Staff - Jul 31, 2024
How do I choose between medication and therapy for dealing with stress and anxiety?
Life is a journey with a lot of challenges thrown in your path, many of which can cause stress and anxiety. Challenges can come from many different situations, from starting a new job to being behind on your bills. But even though it can seem like stress and anxiety are impossible to ignore, that doesn’t mean that you should brush them off as just a part of life or “no big deal.”
Stress and anxiety aren’t the same thing, but they go hand in hand. Stress refers to how your body and mind react to a difficult situation or circumstance. Anxiety is an emotion that stems from fear or uncertainty. When you’re experiencing stress, it can result in anxious feelings.
For many people, stress and anxiety can feel overwhelming and like it will never end. When they get to be too much, it’s important to seek the right treatment and resources. Even if you don’t have a diagnosable anxiety disorder, you can still benefit from additional support from health care professionals to alleviate the emotional, mental and physical toll that stress and anxiety can cause. While medication can be an effective option for many, therapy may be worth considering as the first course of action.
We’ll talk about when it’s time to seek treatment and why therapy may be a preferable option to medication. We’ll also discuss potential causes of stress and anxiety and how MoodRx can help you through online therapy.
How to know when it’s time to seek medication or therapy for your stress and anxiety
Since anxiety and stress can feel like a natural part of life, especially as you get older and have more experiences, it can be easy to assume that you just have to grin and bear it. However, when stress and anxiety feel like they’re affecting your ability to take care of your responsibilities, maintain healthy relationships and feel optimistic about the future, it may be time to seek treatment, such as therapy or medication.
Here are a few signs that you would benefit from treatment, like medication or therapy, for stress and anxiety:
● You’re unable to manage your anxiety on your own.
● You’ve turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as substance use.
● Other people have brought up concerns about your mental health.
● You’re having physical anxiety symptoms, such as headaches and digestive issues.
● You’re experiencing mood changes, such as heightened irritability.
If you feel like anxiety has started to impact every facet of your life or the stress is inescapable, it’s time to talk to your doctor about your concerns. They may refer you to a mental health specialist, such as a psychiatrist, for a potential anxiety disorder diagnosis.
How to know if therapy or medication is a better treatment for your anxiety
If you’re experiencing mental health challenges that are interfering with your overall quality of life, therapy and medication are often two of the first options that you’ll discuss with your health care provider.
Medication for anxiety can be an effective treatment option for many people who struggle with managing their anxiety symptoms on a day-to-day basis. It may be a safe option if you’ve been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, a panic disorder, or social anxiety disorder.
Many people who take medication for their anxiety are prescribed an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor). SSRIs work to reduce the reabsorption of serotonin in the brain, which are neurotransmitters that impact mood. However, if you’ve been to a health care professional and they determined that you don’t meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder diagnosis, it’s likely that they won’t recommend medication.
On the other hand, therapy can be a beneficial course of action for anyone struggling with their mental health, regardless of the severity of their anxiety. Approximately 75% of people who see a psychotherapist have improved their mental and emotional well-being.
Going to a therapist can help you address and reduce your anxiety by:
● Gaining a different perspective on stressful situations
● Changing the thought patterns that perpetuate anxious feelings
● Understanding how your mind and body react to stress
● Diving into the main cause of your anxiety
● Talking through stressful decisions with a third party, such as potentially leaving a job
● Developing coping strategies and stress management techniques for anxiety
Therapy can help everyone, even those who don’t have significant mental health concerns and just want to talk to someone during a difficult time. However, starting to take an anxiety medication, such as an antidepressant, is a serious decision that might not be the right fit for everyone. You should talk to your health care provider about whether medication is right for you based on your symptoms, medical history and the potential side effects. If you and your doctor decide that medication will be helpful to you, therapy can be beneficial as a co-occurring treatment.
Reasons you may be experiencing stress and anxiety
Research taken in 2024 found that more than 40% of U.S. adults reported feeling more anxious than they did in 2023. From that same research, 53% of U.S. adults reported stress having the biggest impact on their mental health. This shows that feeling both stressed and anxious is common and that there are probably many people in your life feeling the same way.
While everyone reacts to the trials and tribulations of life differently, there are many reasons that you could feel stressed and anxious. And just because something causes you stress or anxiety, it doesn’t always mean that it’s a negative thing. Many opportunities and life changes can be both exciting and stressful.
Here are some causes of stress and anxiety:
Life changes:
● Moving to a new place
● Starting a college program or continuing education
● Getting engaged or married
● Having a baby
Relationships:
● Strained family dynamics
● Fighting with a family member, friend or significant other
● Taking care of an ill loved one
● Ending a romantic relationship
Work and money:
● Changing employment
● Tension with co-workers
● Retirement
● Struggling to pay bills
● Unexpected financial burdens
If you’re struggling to cope with any of these reasons, then therapy is worth exploring.
MoodRx provides online therapy for stress and anxiety
If you’ve collaborated with your doctors and determined that therapy is a better first step for your anxiety and stress than medication, that it should be added alongside it, MoodRx is here for you.
We are an online therapy mental health network that prioritizes empathetic care for all of our clients. Whether you’re dealing with excessive stress from a new promotion or you’re struggling with the anxiety of trying to find a new home, we can provide you with the insight and guidance that you deserve.
We pride ourselves on helping clients like you through the three M’s: monitor, match and manage.
● Monitor how stress and anxiety are impacting your emotional, mental and physical health
● Match with an online therapist who is best equipped to help you address and reduce the causes and symptoms of your anxiety
● Manage your anxiety and stress with the help and motivation of a qualified therapist and learn to improve the overall quality of your life
Whether you’re experiencing stress as an individual, as a family or along with your significant other, MoodRx will create a personalized plan for you. Contact our team today for more information or to sign up for free.
