COMPARING PHARMACOLOGICAL V.S.

PSYCHEDELIC TREATMENTS FOR ANXIETY DISORDERS

by: Innocence Branch

What Are the

Treatment Options?

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PHARMACOLOGY & ANXIETY DISORDERS

• Anxiety disorders are account for the most common mental, emotional, and emotional problems according to the U.S. National Mental Health Information Center with females seemingly more impacted than males.

• The FDA reports that pharmacology is generally safe & effective.

• The length of treatment by medication is dependent upon the severity of the symptoms & individual circumstances.

Source: Anxiety and Depression Association of America

SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS (SSRIS)

• Relieve symptoms by blocking the reabsorption (reuptake) of serotonin by certain nerve cells in the brain.

• Mood stabilizer

• Common side effects- insomnia, weight gain, drowsiness, sexual dysfunction, and increases in blood pressure.

• Higher doses required for OCD

BENZODIAZEPINES

Alprazolam

Clonazepam

Diazepam

Lorazepam

• Used for short-term anxiety management.

• Highly effective for promoting relaxation & reducing muscle tension.

TRICYCLIC ANTIDEPRESSANTS

• Amitriptyline

• Imipramine

• Notriptyline

• Side effects include: orthostatic hypotension, urinary retention, constipation, blurry vision, and dry mouth.

Source: ADAA.org

PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGYhttp://youtu.be/Wg8BRoremv8

PSYCHOTROPICS

Psychotropics such as psilocybin, psilocybin, mescaline, peyote, seem to intervene positively in

the amygdala (emotion-processing mechanism).Psychedelic substances work by

rising serotonin levels in the brain.

Source: http://howtousepsychedelics.org/anxiety/

http://youtu.be/3uqBGTnUukg

http://youtu.be/OdWQ-BN9VOw

PSYCHOTROPIC THERAPY& ANXIETY DISORDERS

American Psychiatric Association Taskforce on DSM-IV. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).Reinhold, J. A., Mandos, L. A., Rickels, K. & Lohoff, F. W. Pharmacological treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Expert. Opin. Pharmacother. 12, 2457–2467 (2011).Nutt, D. J., Garcia de Miguel, B. & Davies, S. J. C. in Handbook of Anxiety and Fear (eds Blanchard, R. J., Blanchard, D. C., Griebel, G. & Nutt, D. J.) 365–393 (Academic Press, 2008).

REFERENCES