Common Anxiety Medications and Why They Don’t Work
If you have been diagnosed with anxiety, chances are, you have been prescribed a series of drugs that might work, but they might make you feel worse in the process.
Typically, when you are diagnosed with chronic anxiety disorder, your doctor will skip right to a pharmaceutical solution while overlooking your diet and other health factors. As patients, we accept the diagnosis and the medicine with the hopes that it will make us feel better.
Unfortunately for many, it doesn’t.
Common Anxiety Drugs
SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)- these can include generic names such as citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine and sertraline.
SNRI (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor)- SNRI’s include venlafaxine and duloxetine.
Tricyclic antidepressant- these include amitriptyline, imipramine and nortriptyline.
How They Work
SSRI’s, SNRI’s and Tricyclic antidepressants all work by blocking the reabsorption of serotonin or norepinephrine by certain nerve cells in the brain. They can improve your mood dramatically which “covers” the symptoms but don’t usually address the underlying cause of the anxiety.
Success Rate and Side Effects
For many people diagnosed with anxiety disorder, the success rate of pharmaceuticals isn’t very high. With the best anxiety medications only seeing a 75% success rate, most anxiety drugs are much less successful with recorded results being as low as 20% for some patients. When you factor in the side effects, of which there are many, a pharmaceutical solution isn’t a good solution at all.
Some of the more common side effect associated with anxiety medications can include:
Nausea And Vomiting
Weight Gain
Diarrhea
Sleepiness
Sexual Problems
Side effects that are uncommon, but do still occur can include:
Thoughts about suicide or dying
Attempts to commit suicide
New or worsening depression
New or worsening anxiety
Feeling very agitated or restless
Panic attacks
Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
New or worsening irritability
Acting aggressively, being angry, or violent
Acting on dangerous impulses
An extreme increase in activity and talking (mania)
Other unusual changes in behavior or mood
The list alone is enough to give anyone anxiety and it should, some of these side effects can be life threatening!
The Benefits Of Drug Free Coaching
Before you accept your diagnosis and begin taking a course of anti-anxiety medications, know that there is a better way to get relief from the effects of anxiety disorder. Drug free anxiety coaching can help you feel better without drugs by showing you how to create a self-care routine that, when combined with effective coaching, could rid you of anxiety forever.
From diet and exercise, to meditation and stress management techniques, Body Mind Workers can help. Contact us today and start feeling better now!
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