In the modern world, every person is suffering from at least a single disease. It may be minor or major, it depends on its various conditions. Feeling anxious also comes under the normal part of life but, people going through anxiety disorders can experience lots of problems like terror, panic attacks, fear, restlessness, and many more. Anxiety can be treated with the help of various medications like Serotonin Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs), Benzodiazepines, Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs), Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), and Beta-blockers. This article is all about the drugs to treat anxiety.
What is Anxiety?
In anxiety, fear and uneasiness are experienced by an individual. Stress is the main reason for anxiety. A person can have symptoms like sweating, problems when breathing, sudden changes in heartbeat, etc. If the feeling of anxiety lasts for at least 6 months, then you have ‘anxiety disorder’.
What are the Causes of Anxiety?
The various causes of anxiety are mentioned below:
- Bad Experience in Childhood:- Going through stress and trauma in your childhood. That bad experience can have a worse impact in your life, which you can’t forget with time. Some bad experiences that commonly cause anxiety in people include:
- Losing of parents
- Racism
- Physical and mental abuse
- Problems in Present Life:- Various problems can occur in a person’s day-to-day life, which can trigger anxiety. These problems generally include:
- Money problems
- Stress in daily life
- Unemployment
- Being abused, harassed, or bullied
3) Physical and Mental Health:- Physical and mental health conditions may cause an individual to suffer from anxiety, which can lead to depression and mental illness.
What are the Different Medications for Anxiety?
Medications that help in the treatment of anxiety are listed below:
Selective Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs medication works by raising the level of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects your mood, appetite, and memory. Some generic medicines and their brand-name drugs which are used to treat anxiety in people are:
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)
- Fluoxetine (Prozac)
- Paroxetine (Paxil)
Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
SNRIs are another class of antidepressants that are used for treating anxiety and depression in patients. Doctors consider this medication as a first-line treatment for anxiety.
The generic and brand-name medicines that come under the SNRIs class of medication that is used for treating anxiety are:
- Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
- Venlafaxine (Effexor XR)
Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)
TCAs belong to the older class of antidepressant drugs. This medication is used for the treatment of depression and anxiety, and they are very effective.
The generic variants and branded TCA medicines that are used for treating anxiety include:
- Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
- Amitriptyline (Elavil)
- Imipramine (Tofranil)
Benzodiazepines:-
Benzodiazepines are used for short-term treatment of anxiety. This medication helps relax the body’s muscles and calms the mind, too.
Benzodiazepine drugs are also used to treat different types of anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder in patients.
Some common examples of generic and branded benzodiazepine medications are listed below:
- Diazepam (Valium)
- Clonazepam (Klonopin)
- Alprazolam (Xanax)
- Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
- Lorazepam (Ativan)
Note that after taking these drugs, the person may show some adverse effects like vision problems, headaches, depression, and many more.
Beta-Blockers:
Sometimes, a doctor can prescribe Beta-blockers because these help in reducing the symptoms of anxiety. But, this drug is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating anxiety in people.
Examples of Beta-blocker medications are:
- Propranolol (Inderal)
- Atenolol (Tenormin)
There are some common side effects of beta-blockers
The user may experience some of the beta-blockers side effects like fatigue, nausea, headache, constipation, and diarrhea.
What are the Side Effects of Taking Anxiety Medicines?
Here are the side effects of taking the anxiety medications mentioned above:
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Muscle weakness
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Dry mouth
Home Remedies for Treating Anxiety
Some home remedies which can be used for treating anxiety are as follows:
- Do Exercise:- With the help of physical exercises, you can keep yourself away from stress and anxiety. Do 15 to 20 minutes of daily exercise, as this will lift your mood.
- Meditation:- You can spend your time doing meditation, which will help keep you calm and relaxed. With the help of meditation, you can increase your concentration power and try to control your anxiety.
- Aromatherapy:- Aromatherapy involves massaging certain parts of the body using essential oils. This method may help you in reducing anxiety. There are different variants of oils used in aromatherapy like chamomile, lavender, sandalwood neroli essential oils, etc.
- Avoid alcohol:- Drinking alcohol can cause health complications and diseases in your body like high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, liver infections, depression, and anxiety.
- Sleep:- If you sleep daily for 7 to 9 hours, this habit may beat the problem of anxiety.
Conclusion
Sometimes, people are afraid to talk with their healthcare experts about the problem they are going through. Doctors are always there to give or suggest the best treatment or medications for treating anxiety problems. Ignorance of the symptoms of anxiety problems may lead you towards anxiety disorders.
If you strictly follow the above-given instructions or medications prescribed by doctors, it will always help you to recover from the anxiety.