Anxiolytics: They are often taken lightly when faced with a tense situation (such as the current one) without taking into account their many side effects. We tell you other ways to control anxiety without resorting to drugs.
In principle, these drugs are indicated when anxiety is so intense that it limits the day-to-day of the affected person. it is convenient not to medicalize situations that are not pathological, and that the patient should be helped to find other solutions to anxiety.
1. How Anxiolytics Can Affect You
Benzodiazepines, the group of drugs to which anxiolytics belong, act directly in the brain and make the passage of information between neurons slower.
They do this by increasing the action of a neurotransmitter called GABA, which tells neurons to slow down. Therefore, they have significant side effects:
They can “hook.” One of the main problems with taking anxiolytics is the dependency they can generate. If they are stopped suddenly, they can cause withdrawal syndrome, with headaches or nervousness symptoms.
For this reason, the doctor does not prescribe them lightly and, if when he defines them, it is essential that you follow the recommendations to the letter and that you do not take them longer than they recommend.
They create tolerance. That is, over time, its effectiveness is lower with the same dose. It happens if they take longer than expected.
do not take them indefinitely or improvise the doses.
They can “weaken” you. Drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, reduced alertness, dizziness, and muscle weakness are other possible side effects of anxiolytics. Therefore, if your doctor advises you to take them, it is better that you do not drive while you do it, especially during the first days, which are crucial to assess to what extent they affect you.
2. Do We Use These Drugs Well?
Just take a look at the leaflets for this type of drug to verify that they are indicated in extreme anxiety cases and be taken for a short period.
Also, it is estimated that, on average, those who take anxiolytics to do so for 8 years, a figure that has nothing to do with the maximum of.
The reasons why someone may end up taking anxiolytics are varied: difficulty falling asleep, experiencing a traumatic event, work, or personal problems.
Sometimes (often due to lack of time and also resources), the doctor prescribes them without considering other options with fewer side effects. A study, which relates a higher consumption of anxiolytics with job insecurity, is an excellent example of this trend towards the medicalization of everyday life.
3. Ward Off Anxiety Without Medication
Finding the source of your anxiety is essential to correct it, but this process can be extended. Meanwhile, to overcome it, you have allies:
With plants. Rhodiola is a useful plant in occasional anxiety (it helps to adapt to new situations). Valerian, passionflower, hawthorn, and California poppy are recommended for their calming effects.
Psychological therapy. It is another option that should be evaluated because, in addition to alleviating symptoms, it provides tools to modify our response to situations that can cause anxiety.
The problem is that the affected person often does not go beyond the Primary Care consultation (60% of anxiolytics are prescribed there), so this type of treatment is not offered. You have to find the source of anxiety to overcome it.
Self-control. Taking a deep breath can help you on many occasions. Take air through your nose and slowly expel it through your mouth until you feel your lungs empty. Fill them again and remove the air. Repeat several times.
A gentle self-massage on the chest can also help you relax at specific moments. Make circles with the tips of your fingers slowly in a clockwise direction, at the breastbone level.
Through food. Some ingredients help to overcome anxiety episodes and that you can include in your diet. For example, wheat germ is rich in B vitamins, which naturally balance the nervous system. Another example is almonds, rich in zinc, which modulates the activity of neurons.
