“Is CBT or medication better for anxiety?”
I have anxiety and want to treat it. Is CBT or medication better for anxiety?
4 Answers
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the most effective approach to therapy however for different disorders dialectical behavioral therapy can be more appropriate. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy interrupts the cognition while dialectical behavioral therapy interrupts the emotions. Axis 1 personality disorders respond better to DBT while mood disorders, major depressive disorder, & generalized anxiety disorder responds better to cognitive behavioral therapy. Personality disorders need lifelong therapy while the mood disorders, depressive disorders, & anxiety disorders can be ameliorated with short-term therapy.
This is a really good question, and there is no one size fits all answer. Both medication and therapy are useful in helping people reduce their anxiety. Depending on the severity of the anxiety and to what degree it is interfering in your life, medication may be the first step to bring you back into the "window of tolerance." But medication alone is a symptomatic fix, not a systemic fix. I find that clients who actively engage in therapy to identify their triggers, problematic thought patterns, and reactive patterns, then work on changing them end up with better long-term results.
While antidepressants are the most commonly used treatment for social anxiety disorder, new research suggests that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is more effective and, unlike medication, can have lasting effects long after treatment has stopped.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be effective for a wide variety of mental health disorders, including anxiety disorders. CBT has also been associated with improvements in quality of life in anxiety patients.
There are two main types of treatments for anxiety: medication and psychotherapy (sometimes called therapy or talk therapy). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is considered the most helpful kind of psychotherapy. Often, anxiety treatment consists of a combination of both medication and therapy.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be effective for a wide variety of mental health disorders, including anxiety disorders. CBT has also been associated with improvements in quality of life in anxiety patients.
There are two main types of treatments for anxiety: medication and psychotherapy (sometimes called therapy or talk therapy). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is considered the most helpful kind of psychotherapy. Often, anxiety treatment consists of a combination of both medication and therapy.
See this link: https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/cbt-vs-medication
