“What does a psychiatrist do for anxiety?”
I have anxiety and I want to see a psychiatrist. What does a psychiatrist do for anxiety?
12 Answers
A psychiatrist is going to prescribe medication for anxiety.
Prescribes medication
Good Question! A psychiatrist will normally provide an initial evaluation to determine your diagnosis. Patients normally meet with a psychiatrist if they want medication management. Some psychiatrists offer talk therapy as a treatment as well. I do encourage you to research by determining what are your needs and if you want just medication management, talk therapy, or both. Please be aware that Licensed Therapists in the form of Licensed Psychologists, Licensed Professional Counselors and Licensed Clinical Social Workers can also diagnose and provide treatment as well. However, Licensed Therapists are not prescribers such as psychiatrists. I hope that provides some additional clarity for you.
Sultana Pecherskaya
Counselor/Therapist
They usually prescribe benzodiazepines, or other types of drugs which can
be used to treat anxiety, such as trazodone. They’ll want to rule out other
mental illnesses and health conditions first, however.
be used to treat anxiety, such as trazodone. They’ll want to rule out other
mental illnesses and health conditions first, however.
A Psychiatrist will prescribe medication that decreases or blocks those feelings in the brain. Psychiatrists typically manage medications. A clinical mental health professional such as a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Clinical Social Worker or Licensed Marriage Family Therapist will provide talk therapy, teach coping strategies, explore where the anxiety is started, help you discover your triggers, and help you create a plan that help’s manage the anxiety.
Psychiatrists often prescribe an SSRI to patients suffering from an anxiety disorder. This medication blocks specific nerve cells from reabsorbing serotonin. The extra serotonin alleviates anxiety and improves mood. This medication includes fluoxetine, citalopram, paroxetine and escitalopram
I am not a psychiatrist, but typically since they are medical doctors, they will prescribe an appropriate dosage of medication to treat the anxiety.
I have a diploma in this area, but for licensed practitioners in the state you are in, they can prescribe medication for such.
Hi,
Thank you for your question. A psychiatrist would treat anxiety with anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications. Examples of anti-anxiety meds include benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Ativan, Klonopin) and non-benzodiazepines (Buspar). Examples of antidepressant meds include Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs - Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil)/Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs-Effexor, Cymbalta), Tricyclics (TCAs- Elavil, Anafranil, Tofranil), Monoamine-Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs- Nardil, Marplan), and others like Wellbutrin and Remeron.
I hope this has been helpful!
Best,
Jenna Torres, PsyD
Thank you for your question. A psychiatrist would treat anxiety with anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications. Examples of anti-anxiety meds include benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Ativan, Klonopin) and non-benzodiazepines (Buspar). Examples of antidepressant meds include Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs - Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil)/Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs-Effexor, Cymbalta), Tricyclics (TCAs- Elavil, Anafranil, Tofranil), Monoamine-Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs- Nardil, Marplan), and others like Wellbutrin and Remeron.
I hope this has been helpful!
Best,
Jenna Torres, PsyD
Psychiatrists do evaluations to see whether medication would be appropriate to help with your treatment. Psychologists or other licensed therapists would be appropriate to help with the actual therapy that will make more permanent changes with your thinking and consequently with how you feel thereby reducing your anxiety. My recommendation would be to start with a cognitive behavioral therapist and then see whether it makes sense to also be seen by a psychiatrist for medication to complement your treatment.
Hello and thank you for your question,
Psychiatrists typically prescribe medication for anxiety. They may also recommend psychotherapy.
Thank you,
Patricia Harris | MA, MS, LPC
Psychiatrists typically prescribe medication for anxiety. They may also recommend psychotherapy.
Thank you,
Patricia Harris | MA, MS, LPC
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who prescribes medication to treat mental health conditions such as anxiety.
