Does Your Anxiety Need Medication?
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders, and levels continue to rise year after year. Although talk therapy is often the first line of defense against anxiety—Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, and others are highly effective treatments for anxiety—many people find the additional support that anxiety medication brings to be extremely valuable.
You could benefit from taking anxiety medication if your anxiety is not going away with talk therapy or is preventing you from working, socializing, talking to a therapist, or otherwise hindering your life. Getting medication for anxiety starts with talking to a Psychiatrist.
A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor trained to treat mental health disorders. They prescribe and manage medications for mental health. Lifebulb employs many psychiatrists in Toms River so you can have easy access to the best anxiety treatment in Ocean County.
What Do Anxiety Meds Do?
There are some misconceptions around what anxiety meds actually do. They don’t cure you, and they don’t change your personality. Depending on the type of medication you are prescribed, anxiety meds may:
- ​​Reduce excessive worry and fear
- Balance brain chemicals
- Lower physical symptoms of anxiety
- Decrease the frequency and intensity of panic attacks.
- Help improve sleep
- Make it easier to focus and function
- Support therapy and coping strategies
Sarah Sperduto
LPC
Hi, I’m Sarah Sperduto, MA, LPC, NCC. I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor who works with adolescents, adults, and couples ages 12 through 65+. I specialize in trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, ...
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Meredith Wymer
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Meredith Wymer is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner providing medication management across the lifespan. In addition to her current work in the outpatient mental health se...
Purvesh Shelat
LPC
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with over 10 years of experience supporting individuals through a variety of mental health concerns and life challenges. I believe that seeking therapy is ...
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Phyllis Nehra
LPC
Hi, my name is Phyllis. I am licensed in New Jersey and have over 15 years of working with people in different capacities, including social work and as a therapist. I enjoy helping clients find their ...
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Courtney Putt
Supervisee in Social Work
Courtney is a Licensed Social Worker and certified perinatal mental health professional located in New Jersey. Her passion is working with couples and families, and as well as individuals healing from...
Nicole Bergman
Supervisee in Social Work
I’m Nicole, a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) with a Master of Social Work (MSW). My practice is grounded in creating a supportive, non‑judgmental space where clients feel heard, respected, and empow...
How Psychiatric Care Works
Don’t let fear of the process stop you from taking this important step towards greater mental health and talking with a psychiatrist. Here are the 5 steps you’ll go through when working with a psychiatrist in Toms River.
Your first appointment will be an information-gathering session. They’ll ask about your mental health history, physical health history, and any other important information. This is your time to ask questions and voice your concerns. It’s important to feel comfortable with your psychiatrist, so feel free to ask them any questions you have!
Find a Toms River PsychiatristIn order to receive medication, you’ll need an official diagnosis. A Psychiatrist can provide that. They’ve been trained to diagnose conditions using the DSM-5 (the handbook for diagnosing and treating mental illnesses) and other scientifically-proven methods. Usually, with anxiety, the initial appointment will be a diagnosis appointment. For more complicated or co-occurring disorders, a follow-up diagnosis appointment may be necessary.
Find a Toms River PsychiatristAfter you’ve received your diagnosis, it’s time to get your prescription! Your psychiatrist will go over many different options with you and present you with the best one. This is usually a medication that takes into account your symptoms, other medications you’ve been taking, and your goals. (For example, wanting to decrease panic attacks might warrant a different medication than wanting to stop constant worrying.)
Find a Toms River PsychiatristIt’s normal to try a few types of medication and play with the dosage until you find the right one. You want to find a medication that has minimal to no side effects while fully treating your anxiety symptoms. This might take a while, as it can take up to 5-6 weeks for medication to start working. Follow all instructions your psychiatrist gives you and be honest about how the medication is working for you. This will help the process go faster.
Find a Toms River Psychiatrist“Maintenance therapy” is very important. Life changes, and you’ll change with it. Changes to exercise, diet, sleep, and weight can all influence how your body reacts to mental health medication. Most people meet with their psychiatrist once every month or every 3 months to refill their prescription and check that everything is still working the way it’s supposed to. If it’s not—if you’ve had unsavory side effects or if the medication is not working—your psychiatrist can change your dose, type, or frequency of medication.
Find a Toms River PsychiatristHow It Works
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Frequently Asked Questions
Scheduling is easy! Simply choose a psychiatrist from our extensive therapist directory. Fill out the quick form, and we’ll get in touch to confirm your appointment.
If you don’t feel like choosing a psychiatrist, give us a call, and we’ll match you with an Ocean County therapist that fits your needs.
Lifebulb Counseling & Therapy adheres to all HIPAA policies. This means your personal information will be protected throughout every step of the process: from requesting a session, to your first appointment, all the way to when you decide to stop therapy.
Lifebulb was built on the core belief that good therapists provide good therapy, and that in order for a therapist to be good, they need to feel supported. We prioritize our therapists’ wellness so that they can give you their full attention. No burnout, no counting the minutes till the end of the session, no racing to meet quotas, no wasting time wrestling with insurance panels.
The result? More time, more energy, and more joy they get to put towards what they do best: helping you!
Online anxiety therapy sessions use HIPAA-compliant video software that is 100% secure. We never record sessions and will never ask you to jump on a video call that is not HIPAA compliant. Our therapists also always take video sessions from a private and secure place. There’s no risk of anyone overhearing you.
Yes! Lifebulb prides itself on being HIPAA compliant and making client privacy a top priority. Have questions or concerns about our privacy policy? You can email us at privacy@lifebulb.com
