Is Drugs For Anxiety Disorder Really As Vital As Everyone Says?
Drugs For Anxiety Disorder
A person suffering from anxiety disorders suffers from severe and persistent symptoms. The symptoms affect her work and everyday life. She must take medicine and go to counseling.
Antidepressants can help reduce anxiety. These medications work by increasing the serotonin levels in the brain. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are another treatment. These drugs inhibit the actions of noradrenaline and adrenaline and have been proven to be effective in a variety of studies.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants are effective in reducing anxiety for as high as 70% of people who use them. There are a variety of antidepressants that are available, and as with every drug, there could be some adverse effects. However, in most cases these are mild and tend to diminish with treatment. Your doctor will monitor your progress during the first few months of treatment and may switch to a different form of treatment in the event that it isn't effective or is creating too many adverse side effects.
The most popular antidepressants for treating anxiety are the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors). These drugs work by changing the chemicals in your body that influence your mood as well as your sleep and general feeling of well-being. They can also control physical symptoms like headaches and muscle tension. Certain antidepressants that are atypical like mirtazapine (Remeron) and Nefazodone (Sertraline), are useful in treating anxiety too.
Your doctor is likely to prescribe antidepressants to you when you have GAD (generalized anxiety disorder). These medications are usually coupled with psychotherapy as well as other treatments, like hypnotherapy, to aid you in managing your anxiety. These medicines are extremely effective in treating anxiety and are generally safe when taken according to the directions.
Benzodiazepines have a strong and rapid-acting, but have the potential to cause severe side effects, such as dizziness memory and attention issues as well as irritability, drowsiness, addiction, and dependence. They are primarily used for short-term relief from acute anxiety and panic attacks however, they are also used to treat underlying issues such as stress, depression, and alcohol and drug abuse.
Antidepressants are thought to be more secure than benzodiazepines and generally easier to get rid of than benzos. They don't cause the same physical dependence and withdrawal as benzodiazepines. However certain patients may have unpleasant effects, such as drowsiness and a dry mouth. Other negative effects include sexual dysfunction, fatigue and weight increase. They are not usually prescribed for long-term use and are difficult to locate if you suffer from anxiety or depression.
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are powerful drugs that can help alleviate acute episodes of anxiety and improve sleep quality. They accomplish this by increasing the activity of GABA which is a neurotransmitter that helps calm the central nervous systems. They also cause drowsiness that allows you to sleep and stay asleep throughout the night. They can also cause harmful side effects, such as dependence and addiction. They can become more severe if they are used regularly, but not when they are used only occasionally or in small doses.
Benzodiazepines, in order to prevent dependence and addiction, are prescribed for short-term (often for a few weeks) use. They are also frequently used with other therapeutic approaches such as psychotherapy. They are also not recommended for people with certain mental health conditions, such as severe personality disorders or a history of substance misuse.
Long-term benzodiazepine use can be problematic, as tolerance to the sedative effect develops rapidly. This means that higher and more powerful doses are required to achieve the same effects. This could be extremely dangerous because the depressant effects on the brain stem effects can impair the heart rate and breathing and can cause respiratory depression, or even death. The risk of developing this issue is increased if you take benzodiazepines with other depressants, such as alcohol or SSRIs.
The effects of benzodiazepines on sedation can be extremely dangerous particularly for those who are susceptible to seizures or have liver or kidney disease. These patients should be monitored closely.
The use of benzodiazepines over a long time period can cause physical dependence that is not the same as addiction. If you depend on benzodiazepines you might experience withdrawal symptoms when stopping abruptly. It is essential to talk to your physician about the best method to taper off benzodiazepines.
Benzodiazepines can be snatched from the medicine cabinets of family members and friends. To prevent unauthorized access it is recommended that these medications be kept secure. Healthcare providers are well aware of the possible risks of benzodiazepine dependency and can help to minimize the risk by recommending the appropriate time frame for tapering or switching to a different type of medication that has a lower chance of dependency.
Beta-blockers
Although they are typically used for heart conditions, beta blockers like propranolol can be an effective treatment for anxiety disorders. These medications can reduce anxiety symptoms by preventing adrenaline, a hormone which causes stress by binding to receptors in the body. If adrenaline is unable to attach to receptors in your body, heart rate and blood pressure will drop. These drugs can also relieve physical symptoms of anxiety such as a fast pulse as well as nausea, sweating and achy. Because of their rapid effects, many people notice a significant decrease in these physical symptoms within an hour after taking their medication.
Unlike antidepressants or benzodiazepines, which are typically taken on a long-term basis and can take several weeks to start working, beta blockers provide immediate relief from anxiety-related symptoms. They are a good option for those who want to ease anxiety in certain situations, like prior to an appointment with a doctor or a public speaking event. In fact, a 2016 review of the research that has been conducted on the use of propranolol for short-term use to treat anxiety found that it's as effective in treating certain anxiety disorders as benzodiazepines and could be less likely to cause dependence.
It is essential to keep in mind that beta-blockers don't address the underlying cause of anxiety. They only alleviate your in-the-moment physical reactions to stressors. They are beneficial for those with social anxiety or performance anxiety (stage fear) when these physical symptoms are particularly acute.
It is also important to remember that these medications are the most effective when they are part of a complete treatment program. In the ideal scenario, these medications must be used in conjunction with therapy that addresses the underlying psychological issues as well as lifestyle changes that may cause anxiety. Consult your physician to determine if are a candidate for this type of treatment or other treatments to treat anxiety-related symptoms. In the end, the aim is to live your life with no anxiety symptoms hindering your life.
Psychotherapy
Although most people experience anxiety at some time in their lives, if you suffer from an anxiety disorder, your feelings of anxiety can be more intense and last longer. These symptoms can impact your personal and professional life. Treatment usually consists of psychotherapy and medication. Medicines can help lower anxiety and help you return to activities you love. The kind of medication you will require will depend on the level of anxiety that you have. It is possible to test different types of medications before you discover the right one for you.
For generalized anxiety disorder, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) is typically the first medication prescribed. These drugs increase levels of serotonin, which is a chemical in the brain that assists in relieving symptoms. You should start to see the effects of treatment after a few months. Some SSRIs can trigger side effects such as nausea, stomach upset and insomnia, but these should improve as your body adjusts to the medication.
If SSRIs don't provide adequate relief from anxiety, you might need serotonin and a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). These medications increase the amount of serotonin and noradrenaline in your brain to alleviate your symptoms. When you first begin taking SNRIs, you may experience side effects like fatigue, headaches and elevated blood pressure. These side effects will eventually disappear when your body is accustomed to the medication.
Benzodiazepines slow down the activity of nerves within your brain. They are used to treat panic attacks, anxiety attacks, and other mental disorders. They are available in various strengths, including diazepam (low potency) and lorazepam (mid-potency) and alprazolam (high-potency). BZDs are effective in treating anxiety but they can also be misused and carry the highest chance of addiction or overdose.
Newer treatments are targeting monamine and GABA neurotransmitters in the brain to treat anxiety disorders , but clinical trials are ongoing, and their results have not been fully reported. A drug called d-cycloserine, which is a popular antibiotic and antituberculosis medicine increases extinction learning in human anxiety models by increasing the activity of amygdala NMDA receptors. It is being studied as a possible anxiolytic, and has been used to enhance exposure therapy.