Can emergency rooms prescribe anxiety medication? This is a question that a lot of people suffering from anxiety always ask us when coming in for treatment. Before taking a look at emergency rooms’ ability to prescribe medication for anxiety, we would love to quickly examine what anxiety is and some of its most common symptoms.
Anxiety
Anxiety is the state of being uneasy and generally worried. This is a feeling of fear combined with the emotion which is triggered by a certain physical sensation or fundamental mental thought of not being able to help yourself in certain situation. Panic attacks on the other hand are brought about by situations and incidents where one feels endangered or unable to escape.
To some people however, panic attacks can result from just thought and too much thinking about certain problems they are facing in life. The idea of something bad happening to you in the near future triggers responses from your body. These responses are different in people and although some are able to remain calm and relaxed, others lose it and are overwhelmed by anxiety and fear. Some people experience recurrent panic attacks every time they are faced with specific situations or are supposed to carry out a certain activity like visit a dentist for example.
Signs and symptoms of anxiety
The signs and symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks vary from one person to another. The intensity of the signs and symptoms is determined by the sort of response that the victim’s body gives when faced by certain specific situations. The most common symptoms of panic attacks include;
- Increased heart beats where the heart palpitates
- nausea
- vomiting
- feeling light-headed
- Numbness.
- chest pains
- shivering
- a weird choking feeling
- a feeling of being detached from the surroundings
- profuse sweating
Some people will even pass stool or urinate on themselves during panic attacks because they are extremely shocked and lose it. Other people will have relatively mild symptoms. Such will only experience racing hearts and perhaps profuse sweating.
The latter are able to cope with panic attacks more than those who have relatively extreme symptoms. If someone experiences panic attacks repeatedly then there is the possibility of panic disorder. If you are also worried about having another panic attack, then you need to report panic disorder to the nearest emergency room.
Diagnosis and treatment of anxiety in emergency rooms
There are three main treatment options available in emergency rooms for panic attacks. These are cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy and medication treatment.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
In cognitive behavioral therapy, the thinking patterns and behaviors that trigger the panic attacks are addressed. The consequences of the situations are reviewed and the patient is made to believe that nothing disastrous will happen in the end and it’s just about fear. The moment the patient feels comfortable in these situations, they will be able to remain calm and relaxed if they are faced with similar situations in the future.
Exposure therapy
In exposure therapy, the patient is exposed to some of the factors and triggers that freak them out but in a controlled environment. This way, the patient is exposed to these triggers and ‘gets used’ to them hence reduced the fear factor.
Medication
This is where the subject is treated using medications such as the use of benzodiazepines and antidepressants which suppress the severity of the symptoms experienced. The type of medication used to treat the anxiety depends on the source of the anxiety and the patient’s response to the medication.
So, are emergency rooms able to prescribe medication for anxiety?
The answer to this question depends on a number of factors. The severity of the symptoms of the anxiety that the patient shows and the cause of the anxiety. If the symptoms can be managed using medication, then the emergency room will prescribe the medication he/she deems best for the symptoms.
If the symptoms don’t respond to medication, then the physician will try other therapies for the treatment. You therefore don’t have to get medication prescribed for you every time you visit the emergency room.
If medication adds to your anxiety, do not hesitate to mention this to your physician so that he/she seeks alternative means of handling your situation. If he/she can’t offer a viable solution then he/she will refer you to a more qualified professional to handle your case.
Give Frontline Emergency Room a Call about anxiety
Are you in Dallas or Richmond Texas and are looking for the best emergency room to report your suspected anxiety and panic attacks? Look no further than our way here at Frontline Emergency Room. Frontline Emergency Room is a no wait emergency care facility offering the best emergency services to the locals of Richmond, TX and Dallas, TX at very affordable rates.
Frontline Emergency Rooms accept most of the medical insurances on offer in Texas and you should therefore not be too worried about your insurance. We also offer a flexible payment plan and are always willing to listen to you. Give us a call here at Frontline emergency room today and we will gladly be of help concerning anxiety and panic attacks.
