The word anxiety comprises of feeling scared, worried, and uneasy. Even though naturally, most people may feel anxious, persistent anxiety might indicate an anxiety disorder.
According to various broad range surveys, almost 33.7% of people suffer from a type of anxiety disorder in their lifetime.
To treat and deal with anxiety disorders, different medications are present. Doctors usually prescribe medicines alone. At times, they can even be prescribed by combining them with some therapy. For example, the cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
Although medicines are a great help to relieve the stress and anxiety of a person, the dependence on them, however, can be dangerous.
Addiction to these medicines occurs in many patients. This leads to dependency, and upon their absence, the anxiety in a person can get even worse.
What Is an Anxiety Disorder?
Many factors lead to an anxiety disorder. This causes worry, stress, and anxiousness. These factors can either be some phobia, personal health issues, social interactions or due to work.
Understanding that anxiety is one of the most common disorders globally, many medications are avalible for its treatment.
Environmental factors and the lifestyle of a person increase the chances of facing anxiety. This includes stress affected by sleep disorders, different work situations, health conditions, problems in a relationship, loss of a loved one, or some financial issues.
Central disorders of depressions, genetics, or traumas also trigger anxiety disorders.
Different medications are prescribed to people suffering from anxiety disorders, usually with some effective therapy treatment.
Taking medicines in bulk and without therapy can be risky and lead to addiction. Some of the most effective and common medications used for anxiety disorder include:
- Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs): Venlafaxine is a typical example of these types of medications which increases norepinephrine and serotonin’s intensity.
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): A typical example of these is Zoloft. It increases the serotonin levels in the brain, which aids in improving the mood of a person.
- Tricyclic antidepressants: These medicines help to treat the physical symptoms and mood of a person.
- Benzodiazepines: These medicines, for example, diazepam, reduce tension, and promote relaxation in a person to treat the physical symptoms that anxiety presents.
Even though these medicines were produced to treat anxiety disorder, they have also become the most abused and misused pharmaceuticals.
These medications produce a euphoric feeling within a person. Due to this feeling, the person becomes more tolerant and dependent on these medicines to calm their anxiousness.
The risks of anti-anxiety medicine are predominant. However, it is essential to know how they impact people who end up abusing these drugs.
Risks of Anti-Anxiety Medications:
Most types of anxiety show a significant physical impact; anti-anxiety medicines tend to release those symptoms.
Sedatives and tranquilizers are combined in most of the medicines. They influence the central nervous system efficiently by the suppression of its over-activity. As a ruselt, this procedure ends in a feeling of overall relaxation as the central nervous system slows down.
Sometimes the discerning serotonin reuptake inhibitor medicines, like the Zoloft or Prozac, are taken for anxiety, even though they are mainly produced to cure depression. Benzodiazepines are the most effective medicine to fight stress.
Benzodiazepines:
The benzodiazepines select the GABA receptors in the brain. They help reduce the neuronal activity of the brain. The discomfort or excitement of anxiety causes resistance.
The abuse of Benzodiazepine is most common. According to a USA statistics report, around 20,000 have abused and misused benzodiazepine drugs since 1996.
Treatment by benzodiazepine:
The primary and most common treatment by Benzodiazepine include:
- Anxiety
- Sleep disorders
- Relaxation of muscles
- Panic attacks
- Seizures
- Causing amnesia in a person before starting the process of surgery
- Helping in the abstinence from alcohol.
Side-effects of Benzodiazepine:
A sense of confusion, drowsiness, and clumsiness are some of the most general side effects of the usage of Benzodiazepine. Even lower doses of the medicine result in these effects.
When the dose and usage become higher, these side-effects become stronger.
Benzodiazepine can even cause death upon its abuse. The long-term side effects of Benzodiazepine result in over-sedation.
Over-sedation makes the person feel as if they are drunk. Following that day, the person could feel like they have a hangover, which consists of headaches, lethargy, and possibly depression.
Flu-like symptoms, the wish to commit suicide, sleeping troubles, nausea, memory issues, emotional confusion, and personality change are some of the other side effects of abusing Benzodiazepine.
Symptoms of Benzodiazepine Abuse:
The primary symptoms that people face caused by the overuse of Benzodiazepine include:
- They start to lack proper judgment and the ability to think things through.
- They get a blurry vision.
- The people would not be able to stop taking the drug.
- They will start becoming weak.
- They would face significant mood swings.
Alprazolam (Xanax):
Xanax is among the most popular medication for anxiety disorders.
According to a statistics report of 2016, Xanax was high on the list of drugs that resulted in overdose deaths.
Xanax is prescribed for anxiety quite commonly. Along with this, it is used for sleeping problems, obsessive compulsory disorder, and post-traumatic stress.
Xanax depresses the central nervous system of people and calms them down. It unavoidably makes the people increase their tolerance levels, and hence they have to use it more to attain the same results.
This is why Xanax has a high potential of getting abused and being dependent upon.
Symptoms of Abuse of Xanax:
Some of the most common symptoms of abuse of Xanax are:
- Dryness of mouth
- Vomiting
- Stomach aches
- Dizziness
- Sleeping more but still feeling tired
- Groggy
- Headaches
Xanax becomes deadly when you combine it with other drugs that also depress the central nervous system.
Clonazepam (Klonopin):
Klonopin is mainly prescribed for people that suffer from social anxiety, panic attacks, seizures and different phobias.
It is also an anti-epileptic drug and is also a medicine for seizures.
Since Klonopin has very high addiction risks, it is recommended firmly not to be taken for more than nine weeks.
Symptoms of Misuse of Klonopin:
Klonopin makes people feel too relaxed. Therefore, its abuse is common. The symptoms that indicate a person is overusing Klonopin are:
- Speech problems
- Paranoia
- Clumsiness caused by dizziness
- Agitated
- Vomiting and nausea
Do Non-Addictive Medications for Anxiety Disorder Exist?
Pills and drugs on a spoon. Dosage and medication. Vitamins, anti-depressants, stimulants, sleeping pills, and health concepts. Pills and treatment addiction
Anxiety disorders can badly affect a person’s life. It is a severe issue that can become a disorder and require proper treatment through medication.
It is essential to seek other therapies that help in controling anxiety and also to take the right medicines. Due to the benzodiazepine rate of addiction, looking for other alternatives is a wise choice.
Anti-anxiety herbs are present that help in relieving the stress and relax the mind and body from anxiety. For example, Kava was proven to be a natural medication for anxiety after positive studies and trials.
Such herbs, like Kava can cause sedation. For this reason, they are useful in relaxing the person. These relaxants are non-addictive.
Other important and useful herbs include lavender, chamomile, and passionflower. Although if a person has a disorder of anxiety, these natural herbs are not strong enough to stop the panic attacks, along with other serious symptoms of anxiety.
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