Good Medications for Treating Anxiety
Anxiety is a problem that is consuming many people in the world today. With medication one can control these problems. Of course different people will respond differently to the treatment. Besides people, with pre-existing conditions or special situations like pregnancy, must be careful while taking these drugs. Lastly, depending on the cause of anxiety you can use different classes of drugs.
There are three main drug categories used to treat anxiety problems in people: Anti depressants, anti anxiety drugs and beta blockers.
The anti depressants work by increasing the level of serotonin secretion in the blood. This is a chemical that makes the body feel good and well. By increasing serotonin secretion, the anxiety symptoms can be subdued. The most modern forms of anti depressants are called the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These are very safe forms of anti depressants and have received FDA approval. These are the first line of treatment used for most depression patients. The oldest anti depressant is Monoamine oxidase inhibitors which can cause weight gain and sleeplessness. Hence it is avoided and used only as a last resort. Tricyclics are another popular anti depressants and are used as commonly as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. However, they can affect the sexual drive in a person and cause drowsiness.
Anti Anxiety Drugs are typically various forms of benzodiazepines. These affect the central nervous systems directly and provide quick relief. They do cause drowsiness and have some other serious symptoms if overused or if you get addicted to. Buspirone is another drug in this category which is not addictive. It also takes longer to work its effects.
The Beta Blockers are ideal for treating heart palpitations, night terrors, sweating and problems with social anxiety. Given that they tend to act within an hour, these are best for predictable situations. For example, if you need to speak in public and you know this will make you anxious; this is the best drug to take before the event. These drugs are highly effective for short term problems. However, if you are suffering from a long term anxiety problem the beta blockers are not that effective and you need to look at anti depressants or anti anxiety drugs.
These are three common drug categories that are commonly used to treat anxiety in people. As it is clear some are fast acting, others take time; some are addictive others are not. Lastly, depending on what kind of anxiety problems you face, you must choose the most effective and least addictive drug.
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