Anxiety is one of the scariest feelings one can experience. It is your brain’s response to a lot of different conditions and perceived threats from your environment. The good news is your condition is entirely manageable and curable. In this article, we will discuss what general anxiety disorder is and how to manage it.
What Is General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
Everyone experiences a small amount of stress or a normal amount of anxiety every day. In fact, 6.1 million Americans experience stress due to diet, genetics, behaviors, and other factors.
General Anxiety Disorder is a condition characterized by persistent and excessive worry about a number of things. It manifests as unwelcome thoughts and feelings stemming from many stressful circumstances. Thankfully, GAD is treatable. You can undergo different treatment options, seek help from professionals, and make big life changes. It’s not an easy process, and progress doesn’t happen overnight, but you can take control of your life back with perseverance.
What Is the Treatment for GAD?
A 2017 study showed that patients who have a social anxiety disorder or GAD showed significant improvements after undergoing weekly treatment with ketamine infusion. Ketamine is a treatment that helps patients with depression. It is also beneficial for patients with GAD.
When it is administered each week, patients experience reduced symptoms of depression or GAD. While it still needs more research to find out exactly how it works, ketamine is proving to be a safe and effective way to treat depression, GAD, and social anxiety.
How Does Ketamine Work?
Honestly, researchers are unsure of how it works. Based on the theories proposed, they do know that it blocks the NMDA receptors in the brain, which allows your brain to produce an increased amount of glutamate. This is a vital chemical that controls depression and anxiety.
Ketamine is different from other drugs used to treat anxiety. The other drugs work by blocking the GABA receptors in the brain. Ketamine works different and is believed to potentially be more effective than many anxiety drugs on the market.
Why Do You Need Ketamine?
Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand. When a patient experiences anxiety, they have increased chances of developing other conditions, such as depression. Anxiety can also aggravate the depression the patient is already dealing with.
Patients who deal with anxiety often struggle with their daily lives. They face hardships in their anxiety. Due to this, they may fear going out, and keep to themselves and avoid social gatherings. This may even affect their ability to work and make a living. That’s why it's completely understandable to feel frustrated, sad, angry, or depressed when dealing with GAD.
Ketamine may be the best treatment for curing GAD, as it can treat both anxiety and depression. Generally, the more infusions you receive, the longer-lasting the effects will be. In a few days, you might feel an alleviation of your depression and anxiety symptoms. However, ask for your doctor’s advice first.
Conclusion
Dealing with anxiety is a struggle. Hopefully, ketamine can treat your condition. However, you must conduct thorough research before buying one. You also need to talk to your doctor to make sure you are allowed to take it. It’s always best to consult the experts before making decisions related to your health, mental or otherwise.
Help treat your anxiety and depression by talking to an expert. Stephanie Lyn Coleman MD is a licensed physician who is experienced in psychedelic medicine and treats anxiety and depression using ketamine therapy. Contact us to book an appointment.
