Also, which are more effective. I wanted to know their mechanisms, how both work, how they are similar and how they are different, and if they’re both effective in treating depression/anxiety/panic, or neither, or what.
From what I’ve heard vaguely, SSRI’s actually treat it all while the benzodiazepines just..act as a short term fast relief and calm you down, but don’t actually do much else for you, mechanism wise.
Ignore None, he seems to have no idea what he’s talking about. Major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders are caused by problems with brain chemistry. Life events can contribute to anxiety disorders, but they aren’t the main cause. Compare anxiety disorders with diabetes. Diabetes is not caused by a bad diet or lifestyle, but can be aggravated by it.
SSRIs work by indirectly increasing the levels of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is one of the many chemicals in your brain that affects mood (the other big ones are norepinephrine and dopamine). SSRIs don’t make more serotonin, but they block the reuptake of seratonin, allowing you to soke in what you already have longer. They usually work well, particuarly for anxiety, and are well tolerated for the most part (most people only have to deal with nausea, diarrhea, weight gain, and sexual disfunction). However, they don’t work for everyone, and some people have very bad reactions to them. If you’re looking into SSRIs, Lexapro seems to work the best for anxiety and has the least side effects.
Benzos are older and work a little bit differently. They enhance a neurotransmitter called GABA, which helps calm you down. They work quickly. If you take some Lexapro, it won’t help you with a panic attack you’re having right now, but if you take Ativan, it will calm you down immediatly. You can take them with your SSRIs, or instead of, if SSRIs don’t work for you or if you can’t tolerate them. They’re a good choice if you only get anxious occasionly; SSRIs or even antipsychotics are better for constant, chronic anxiety. If you struggle with depression, you shouldn’t use benzos long term, because they can aggravate depression. They’re also quite addictive.
Research both meds and talk to your psychiatrist about them. You can take one, both, or neither, depending on what your needs are. Also, I recommend you see a psychotherapist to help work through your anxiety. Allow me to go back to the diabetes metaphor. If you take insulin for diabetes, but sit around on the couch eating chocolate all day, you’re probably not going to get much better. Same goes for anxiety. Meds will help, but only if you work through your issues and make some lifestyle changes as well.
I hope everything works out okay. You’ll be in my prayers.
July 3rd, 2009 at 3:44 pm
try wikipedia
References :
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
they raise your seratonin levels to help you fight depression and have a normal life. It changes your brain chemistry as well. I would recommend name brand luvox because its pretty good at doing that.
References :
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:47 pm
basically, they dont work
most depression, and anxirty are caused by life events, you cannot change that with a drug
medications are given to everybody, and are masively over prescribed
they ‘work’ by messing with the seratonin levels, in some misguided effort thinking thats the problem
References :
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:06 pm
ssri stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. in a brain without ssri’s, serotonin is released from a neuron to activate other neurons. all the serotonin that is not immediately used is normally taken up by the initial neuron. the ssri works to stop the uptake of the serotonin after it is initially released. thereby allowing excess serotonin to remain available for further receptor stimulation.
benzo’s are addictive, are narcotic in effect, and have little to do with serotonin. these are mild tranquilizers or "depressants" of the nervous system so that one can relax. they take the edge off of situations so that the person can better handle the situation in a more calm manner.
used in concert with each other, they provide the person with an antidepressant and an anti-anxiety medication.
References :
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Ignore None, he seems to have no idea what he’s talking about. Major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders are caused by problems with brain chemistry. Life events can contribute to anxiety disorders, but they aren’t the main cause. Compare anxiety disorders with diabetes. Diabetes is not caused by a bad diet or lifestyle, but can be aggravated by it.
SSRIs work by indirectly increasing the levels of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is one of the many chemicals in your brain that affects mood (the other big ones are norepinephrine and dopamine). SSRIs don’t make more serotonin, but they block the reuptake of seratonin, allowing you to soke in what you already have longer. They usually work well, particuarly for anxiety, and are well tolerated for the most part (most people only have to deal with nausea, diarrhea, weight gain, and sexual disfunction). However, they don’t work for everyone, and some people have very bad reactions to them. If you’re looking into SSRIs, Lexapro seems to work the best for anxiety and has the least side effects.
Benzos are older and work a little bit differently. They enhance a neurotransmitter called GABA, which helps calm you down. They work quickly. If you take some Lexapro, it won’t help you with a panic attack you’re having right now, but if you take Ativan, it will calm you down immediatly. You can take them with your SSRIs, or instead of, if SSRIs don’t work for you or if you can’t tolerate them. They’re a good choice if you only get anxious occasionly; SSRIs or even antipsychotics are better for constant, chronic anxiety. If you struggle with depression, you shouldn’t use benzos long term, because they can aggravate depression. They’re also quite addictive.
Research both meds and talk to your psychiatrist about them. You can take one, both, or neither, depending on what your needs are. Also, I recommend you see a psychotherapist to help work through your anxiety. Allow me to go back to the diabetes metaphor. If you take insulin for diabetes, but sit around on the couch eating chocolate all day, you’re probably not going to get much better. Same goes for anxiety. Meds will help, but only if you work through your issues and make some lifestyle changes as well.
I hope everything works out okay. You’ll be in my prayers.
References :
I have major depressive disorder and dysthymia and take medication for it. I have been on SSRIs. My brother has generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder.
http://www.webmd.com
http://www.mayoclinic.com
http://www.crazymeds.us