Feeling stressed or anxious under unexpected or sudden situations is quite normal. These emotional responses make our body able to withstand the worse conditions and alter the normal metabolism of the brain and the body to indicate the state of being overwhelmed. We all experience such anxious thoughts very often and it’s all part of healthy living.
However, if these distressed emotions and unpleasant thoughts persist over and over, it’s an alarming situation. You need to manage it otherwise it could lead to dementia and other serious neurological disorders.
Depending upon the severity of anxiety and the time span of the associated anxious episode, medication is prescribed by psychiatrists. Want to know what anxiety medications are available and how they work to reduce unhealthy emotions, read ahead.
Types Of Anxiety Medications
Anxiety medication is a treatment used to rescue the normal state of mind while not interfering with other body cells and overall metabolic status. These medications can either prevent frequent anxiety shocks or can alleviate the severity of anxious symptoms. Others medications work in combination to treat long-term anxiety.
Anxiety supplements, antihistamines, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and beta blockers are all preventive medications often prescribed by the doctor to prevent the development of anxious symptoms. On the other hand, herbal remedies, magnesium, inositol, L-theanine, cannabidiol CBD, and 5-hydroxytryptophan 5-HTP are examples of anxiety medication over the counter drugs available to calm down the extreme symptoms of being stressed or overwhelmed.
In order to treat long-term anxiety or other neurological condition, it’s always better to follow the prescribed medication by the doctor or consultant rather than taking random over the counter anxiety supplements.
How Does Anxiety Medication Work?
Anxiety medication would vary according to the cause, type, and severity of anxiety. And keep in mind that the word anxiety is a term used to indicate an unpleasant state of mind rather it could be of different types.
For instance, it could be a generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, any kind of phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety, or posttraumatic stress. All these kinds of anxiety have varying symptoms, the extent of severity, and the best recommended anxiety medication.
- Beta Blockers
Beta-blockers ease anxiety by targeting the physiological symptoms rather than treating the nervous system or neuronal coordination. When taken according to the prescription, beta blockers relieve anxiety by calming down the heartbeat, breathing rate, and tremors. Beta-blockers belong to the group of preventive anxiety medications that when taken in advance can control overwhelmed thoughts and extreme mood swings.
Beta-blockers mainly block the chemical messengers meant to bind with beta receptors on the surface of neurons to ultimately trigger the symptoms of anxiety. They prevent this binding, work to relieve mental stress, and ease neuronal coordination.
- Antidepressants And Anticonvulsants
Antidepressants are found to be effective in treating anxiety and mood shifts in addition to depression. The two common members of the antidepressant drug class are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) work by lowering the level of stress hormones while promoting the production of neurotransmitters including serotonin and norepinephrine. Antidepressants block serotonin inhibitors allowing them to work for a longer period of time and relaxes the stressed neurons of the brain.
On the other hand, anticonvulsants are drugs that are effective for the treatment of an extreme anxious states of mind or long-term depression. Anticonvulsants lowering down the triggering of fast-firing neurons and thus improves nerve impulse conduction throughout the body. They do so by blocking the ion channels necessary to conduct impulses and facilitate GABA neurotransmission. All they do is the induction of a positive and relaxed mind with healthier neuronal coordination.
- Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are a group of sedative drugs used to treat short-term or earlier stage of anxiety and stress. These types of drugs are usually prescribed in combinations to ensure proper control over the neurological condition.
They target the GABA neurotransmitter and slow down the complex activity of the brain by semi-freezing the conduction of nerve impulses. Benzodiazepines are also a kind of antidepressant but can develop resistance over time. So, doctors recommend this medication less likely and if do, they prescribe it for less than 6 months.
Use all of these medications according to the prescription to avoid the side effects of these drugs.