Table of Contents
How much anxiety impairs daily life
Fears about taking medication
Alternate treatment for anxiety
This is a discussion I have all the time with clients in the office. Like a lot of people, you may be hesitant about taking medication. Perhaps you’re worried about side effects or that it won’t work or that you’ll be dependent on it for the rest of your life. You may be concerned others will judge you for taking medication or that taking medication means you’re somehow deficient in being able to manage anxiety on your own.
Taking medication is a very personal decision. If you’re struggling with this decision, I encourage you to reflect first on a few questions:
What percentage of the time is anxiety at such a high level that you feel it impairs your functioning in daily life?
It’s important to consider what your level of anxiety is over the course of an average week or month of your life. This will give you an idea of how much of the time you feel you’re suffering enough that medication might help. You may feel one way about your decision if you estimate you have high anxiety 20% of the time as opposed to realizing you’re feeling uncomfortably anxious 70% of the time.
What are your fears about taking medication?
Write your fears down. Say them out loud to someone you trust. Do some research to get the facts. Talk to your doctor. It’s best to explore these fears and get good information before you start medication. That way you’ll be more confident in your decision to try it out. Remember, no decision to start medication is permanent. You can always go off it (with the help of your doctor) if you don’t like how it makes you feel or you don’t think it’s working. Keep in mind that you may have to try several different medications before you find one that works for you.
Is there anything you want to try before starting medication that you haven’t tried yet?
It’s possible that changes in diet and exercise can help with your anxiety. Sometimes people are quick to jump to taking medication but they haven’t tried other, milder interventions first. Many of my clients have been surprised to find how much a regular exercise or meditation/yoga routine helps with anxiety and the research backs this up. Other clients I’ve had have found benefit from taking natural supplements such as adaptogens (see this for more information https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/22361-adaptogens). The point is, think of this like stair steps. You may want to start with the least invasive intervention and see if that works before you step up to more serious interventions like medication.
Throughout my years in practice, there have been many times where medication has helped someone much more than they or I expected. There have been just as many times when a client found medication to be unhelpful or to have unwanted side effects. It’s definitely not a sure thing but there are times when the benefits of trying it outweigh the drawbacks. Keep an open mind about what might be right for you.
