My inspiration to make this article came from the pain I felt when I saw friends of mine having anxiety disorders, at that moment I couldn't do anything, it was at this moment that energy and motivation came to do a deep analysis on anxiety disorders. If you're looking for an article explaining in detail about every chemical message and affected areas in our brain, you've come to the right place.
Everyone experiences fear and anxiety at some point in their lives. Fear is an immediate response to a specific threatening stimulus. For example, you may be anxious about the possibility of seeing a snake on a hike through the woods, while you may experience fear if one slithered directly in front of you.
For some people, though, anxiety can be overwhelming, and it can interfere with daily life. Anxiety becomes a problem when these brain areas function inappropriately (or fail to function), setting off a stream of inappropriate or irrational behaviors. Long-lasting anxiety like this may be diagnosed as an anxiety disorder (Gadye, 2022).
Anxiety isn’t stress; it’s your mind and body’s reaction to stressful, dangerous, or unfamiliar situations. Anxiety usually manifests itself as an intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear. A certain level of anxiety is normal. For example, you might feel uneasy, distressed, or even a feeling of dread a few moments before a significant event. Anxiety disorders are different. When you’re living with an anxiety-based condition, the amount of worry and fear you feel might be completely debilitating. When this happens, anxious brains function in a constant state of worry and fear. Not knowing what to do, your brain releases an influx of stress hormones.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 19 million Brazilians have some type of anxiety disorder and women are the most affected. (JR, 2021) Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness in the United States. (Dr. Mark Collins, 2021) If you’re one of the 40 million adults living with an anxiety-based condition, you’re probably familiar with the ways anxiety can influence your physical health. Anxiety can hyper-activate areas in your brain that detect and respond to threats. At the same time, anxiety might hinder activity in parts of your brain that manage your reaction to fear and stress.
In more technical and scientific words, mood and anxiety disorders are characterized by a variety of neuroendocrine, neurotransmitter, and neuroanatomical disruptions. My objective in this article is to show you the physiological,psychological and mainly neurobiological depth and immensity of the action and consequences of anxiety in our brain, so,I divided this article into 7 parts:
· Functional Anatomy
· Neuroendocrine and Neurotransmitter Pathways
· How do neurotransmitters work?
· How many different types of neurotransmitters are there?
· Why would a neurotransmitter not work as it should?
· Genetic Contribution to Emotionality
· Anxious Teenagers Vs Drugs
FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY
Symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders are thought to result in part from disruption in the
balance of activity in the emotional centers of the brain rather than in the higher cognitive centers. It reside in The Frontal Lobe that expressive language, voluntary movement among
others and managing higher level executive functions refer to a collection of cognitive (Team, 2021) .The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) is located into the frontal lobe and is responsible for executive functions such as planning, decision making, predicting consequences for potential behaviors, and understanding and moderating social behavior. It can be further mainly divided into :
1. The Dorsolateral
2. The Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC)
3. Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (vmPFC)
Anxiety weakens the connections between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex (PFC). When the amygdala alerts the brain to danger, the prefrontal cortex should kick in and help you come up with a rational, logical response. The PFC ensures that you’re capable of processing information analytically and can make informed decisions, as well as helping you solve problems. You can think of the PFC as your brain’s wise counselor. In non-anxious brains, the prefrontal cortex responds rationally when the amygdala sends out alerts. This process doesn’t work the same in anxious brains. Instead, when the amygdala alerts the PFC to danger, the connection is weak. Thus the rational, problem-solving part of the brain isn’t heard, which can lead to irrational thoughts and erratic behavior.
When you’re anxious, your body is under a lot of stress. Stress shrinks the hippocampus, the part of the brain that processes long-term and contextual memory. When the hippocampus shrinks, it may become more difficult for your brain to hold onto memories. In other words, anxiety wires your brain to remember failure, threat, and danger. Happier memories, like those of success, achievement, and safety, are buried deep in your brain’s basement.
The emotional-processing brain structures historically are referred to as the “limbic system”. The limbic system is a collection of structures involved in processing emotion and memory, including the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the hypothalamus. (Olivia Guy-Evans, 2021) It’s located within the cerebrum of the brain.
The hippocampus has tonic inhibitory control over the hypothalamic stress-response system and plays a role in negative feedback for the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. However keep calm, I will explain about this system.
Anxiety disorders are among the most common of all mental disorders and their pathogenesis is a major topic in psychiatry. Early stressful life events and alterations of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis function seem to have a significant role in the onset of anxiety. Existing data appear to support the mediating effect of the HPA axis between childhood traumata and posttraumatic stress disorder. The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis or the HPA axis as it is commonly called, Is a complex system of neuroendocrine pathways and feedback loops that functions to maintain physiological homeostasis in relation to stress. The HPA axis describes the interaction between the:
- Hypothalamus
- Pituitary gland
- Adrenal gland
The main function generally attributed to the HPA axis involves the body‘s reaction to stress. When somethings stressful happens to us, Is mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. This response occur almost immediately and result in the secretion of epinephrine and norepinephrine both of which work to enact changes that you would generally expect if you felt stressed. The hypothalamus responds to signals like elevated norepinephrine levels by secreting Corticotropin releasing hormone into the bloodstream. However after the action of hypothalamus, the pituitary gland to secrete substance called Adrenocorticortropic Hormone (ACTH) into the bloodstream that travel down to the Adrenal cortex which is a term for the outer layer of the adrenal glands. ACTH binds to receptors on the surface the adrenal gland that to secrete Glucorticoids like the hormone cortisol. Cortisol (Arefa Cassoobhoy, 2020) has a number of effects on the body that are thought to be carried out in order to heir the body deal with a stressor that lasts longer than a few minutes. Cortisol goes to the hypothalamus and hippocampus making the so-called "negative feedback mechanism” (Psychiatry, 2012).
Moreover, normal basal cortisol levels and hyper-responsiveness of the adrenal cortex during a psychosocial stressor are observed in social phobics. It can derail your body’s most important functions. It can also lead to a number of health problems, including:
• Anxiety and depression
• Headaches
• Heart disease
• Memory and concentration problems
• Problems with digestion
• Trouble sleeping
• Weight gain
Too Much Cortisol in your adrenal gland or a tumor in the brain’s pituitary gland can trigger your body to make too much cortisol. This can cause a condition called Cushing syndrome. It can lead to rapid weight gain, skin that bruises easily, muscle weakness, diabetes, and many other health problems.
Finally, abnormal HPA axis activity has also been observed in generalized anxiety disordered patients. While several hypothesis have attempted to explain these findings over time, currently the most widely accepted theory is that early stressful life events may provoke alterations of the stress response and thus of the HPA axis, that can endure during adulthood, predisposing individuals to develop psychopathology.
The amygdala is a tiny almond-shaped structure located in the limbic system, the part of your brain that deals with emotions and moods. The amygdala is like your brain’s watchman, staying on the lookout for any danger or threats. When the amygdala notices potential danger, it sends signals to the hypothalamus, which triggers a fight or flight response. When you deal with anxiety on a consistent basis, your amygdala grows larger. In the anxious brain, the amygdala is large and hypersensitive. Because of this, the amygdala sends a lot of false alarms. You can think of a hypersensitive amygdala as a watchman who cries wolf too often. An overactive amygdala sends false alarms so often that your brain senses threats even in non-threatening situations. That’s why people with anxiety disorders tend to feel threatened more often than someone without such a disorder on the right lobe. The amygdala also plays a role in the formation and retrieval of emotional and fear-related memories (CHALLENGED, 2022). The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is heavily interconnected with cortical regions including the limbic cortex. It also receives input from the hippocampus, thalamus, and hypothalamus.
Until recently, scientists believed that a marble-sized brain area, called the amygdala, served as the hub of fear and anxiety. Some studies have shown that monkeys with damage to the amygdala were unusually stoic in the face of scary stimulus (like a nearby snake). In people with anxiety disorder, scientists thought that inappropriate fear and anxiety were caused by a hyperactive amygdala—a simple cause with a simple effect.
One potential explanation for how this works splits the brain into two parts: a cognitive brain and an emotional brain. The frontal lobe, where all of our sensations and thoughts come together as one unified experience, is the cognitive brain. The amygdala, located deep inside the brain, is part of the emotional brain. According to this theory, we only feel anxiety when signals from the emotional brain overpower the cognitive brain, and into our consciousness. If you can rationalize that, for example, snakes are rare in the woods you’re hiking in (using the cognitive brain), then cognitive brain network overtakes and tames the emotional fear network.
Neuroendocrine and Neurotransmitter Pathways
Neurotransmitters are your body’s chemical messengers. They carry messages from one nerve cell across a space to the next nerve, muscle or gland cell. These messages help you move your limbs, feel sensations, keep your heart beating, and take in and respond to all information your body receives from other internal parts of your body and your environment. But you must be wondering, ok, but what’s a neurotransmitter ?
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that your body can’t function without. Their job is to carry chemical signals (“messages”) from one neuron (nerve cell) to the next target cell. The next target cell can be another nerve cell, a muscle cell or a gland.
Your body has a vast network of nerves (your nervous system) that send and receive electrical signals from nerve cells and their target cells all over your body. Your nervous system controls everything from your mind to your muscles, as well as organ functions. In other words, nerves are involved in everything you do, think and feel. Your nerve cells send and receive information from all body sources. This constant feedback is essential to your body’s optimal function. What body functions do nerves and neurotransmitters help control ?
Your nervous system controls such functions as your:
· Heartbeat and blood pressure.
· Breathing.
· Muscle movements.
· Thoughts, memory, learning and feelings.
· Sleep, healing and aging.
· Stress response.
· Hormone regulation.
· Digestion, sense of hunger and thirst.
· Senses (response to what you see, hear, feel, touch and taste).
How do neurotransmitters work?
You have billions of nerve cells in your body. Nerve cells are generally made up of three parts: A cell body. The cell body is vital to producing neurotransmitters and maintaining the function of the nerve cell. An axon. The axon carries the electrical signals along the nerve cell to the axon terminal. An axon terminal. This is where the electrical message is changed to a chemical signal using neurotransmitters to communicate with the next group of nerve cells, muscle cells or organs.
Neurotransmitters are located in a part of the neuron called the axon terminal. They’re stored within thin-walled sacs called synaptic vesicles. Each vesicle can contain thousands of neurotransmitter molecules. As a message or signal travels along a nerve cell, the electrical charge of the signal causes the vesicles of neurotransmitters to fuse with the nerve cell membrane at the very edge of the cell. The neurotransmitters, which now carry the message, are then released from the axon terminal into a fluid-filled space that’s between one nerve cell and the next target cell (another nerve cell, muscle cell or gland).
In this space, called the synaptic junction, the neurotransmitters carry the message across less than 40 nanometers (nm) wide (by comparison, the width of a human hair is about 75,000 nm). Each type of neurotransmitter lands on and binds to a specific receptor on the target cell (like a key that can only fit and work in its partner lock). After binding, the neurotransmitter then triggers “a change or action” in the target cell, like an electrical signal in another nerve cell, a muscle contraction or the release of hormones from a cell in a gland. What action or change do neurotransmitters transmit to the target cell?
Neurotransmitters transmit one of three possible actions in their messages, depending on the specific neurotransmitter:
1. Excitatory - Excitatory neurotransmitters “excite” the neuron and cause it to “fire off the message,” meaning, the message continues to be passed along to the next cell. Examples of excitatory neurotransmitters include glutamate, epinephrine and norepinephrine.
2. Inhibitory-Inhibitory neurotransmitters block or prevent the chemical message from being passed along any farther. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine and serotonin are examples of inhibitory neurotransmitters.
3. Modulatory - Modulatory neurotransmitters influence the effects of other chemical messengers. They “tweak” or adjust how cells communicate at the synapse. They also affect a larger number of neurons at the same time.
What happens to neurotransmitters after they deliver their message?
Good question brow. I'm pretty sure you were thinking about it … The molecules must be cleared from the synaptic cleft (the space between the nerve cell and the next target cell. I called it up there a synaptic junction). (Khan, 2022) They do this in one of three ways. Neurotransmitters:
· Fade away (a process called diffusion).
· Are reabsorbed and reused by the nerve cell that released it (a process called reuptake).
· Are broken down by enzymes within the synapse so it can’t be recognized or bind to the receptor cell (a process called degradation).
How many different types of neurotransmitters are there?
So, Scientists know of at least 100 neurotransmitters and suspect there are many others that have yet to be discovered. They can be grouped into types based on their chemical nature. Some of the better-known categories and neurotransmitter examples and their functions include the following:
Amino acids neurotransmitters
These neurotransmitters are involved in most functions of your nervous system.
Ø Glutamate - This is the most common excitatory neurotransmitter of your nervous system. It’s the most abundant neurotransmitter in your brain. It plays a key role in cognitive functions like thinking, learning and memory. Imbalances in glutamate levels are associated with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and seizures.
Ø Gamma-aminobutryic acid (GABA) - GABA is the most common inhibitory neurotransmitter of your nervous system, particularly in your brain. It regulates brain activity to prevent problems in the areas of anxiety, irritability, concentration, sleep, seizures and depression.
Ø Glycine - Glycine is the most common inhibitory neurotransmitter in your spinal cord. Glycine is involved in controlling hearing processing, pain transmission and metabolism.
Monoamines neurotransmitters
These neurotransmitters play a lot of different roles in your nervous system and especially in your brain. Monoamines neurotransmitters regulate consciousness, cognition, attention and emotion. Many disorders of your nervous system involve abnormalities of monoamine neurotransmitters, and many drugs that people commonly take affect these neurotransmitters.
Ø Serotonin - Serotonin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Serotonin helps regulate mood, sleep patterns, sexuality, anxiety, appetite and pain. Diseases associated with serotonin imbalance include seasonal affective disorder, anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia and chronic pain. Medications that regulate serotonin and treat these disorders include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
Ø Histamine - Histamine regulates body functions including wakefulness, feeding behavior and motivation. Histamine plays a role in asthma, bronchospasm, mucosal edema and multiple sclerosis.
Ø Dopamine - Dopamine plays a role in your body’s reward system, which includes feeling pleasure, achieving heightened arousal and learning. Dopamine also helps with focus, concentration, memory, sleep, mood and motivation. Diseases associated with dysfunctions of the dopamine system include Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, bipolar disease, restless legs syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Many highly addictive drugs (cocaine, methamphetamines, amphetamines) act directly on the dopamine system.
Ø Epinephrine - Epinephrine (also called adrenaline) and norepinephrine (see below) are responsible for your body’s so-called “fight-or-flight response” to fear and stress. These neurotransmitters stimulate your body’s response by increasing your heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, blood sugar and blood flow to your muscles, as well as heighten attention and focus to allow you to act or react to different stressors. Too much epinephrine can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and other health problems. As a drug, epinephrine is used to treat anaphylaxis, asthma attacks, cardiac arrest and severe infections.
Ø Norepinephrine - Norepinephrine (also called noradrenaline) increases blood pressure and heart rate. It’s most widely known for its effects on alertness, arousal, decision-making, attention and focus. Many medications (stimulants and depression medications) aim to increase norepinephrine levels to improve focus or concentration to treat ADHD or to modulate norepinephrine to improve depression symptoms.
Peptide neurotransmitters
Peptides are polymers or chains of amino acids.
Ø Endorphins - Endorphins are your body’s natural pain reliever. They play a role in our perception of pain. Release of endorphins reduces pain, as well as causes “feel good” feelings. Low levels of endorphins may play a role in fibromyalgia and some types of headaches.
Ø Acetylcholine - This excitatory neurotransmitter does a number of functions in your central nervous system (CNS [brain and spinal cord]) and in your peripheral nervous system (nerves that branch from the CNS). Acetylcholine is released by most neurons in your autonomic nervous system regulating heart rate, blood pressure and gut motility. Acetylcholine plays a role in muscle contractions, memory, motivation, sexual desire, sleep and learning. Imbalances in acetylcholine levels are linked with health issues, including Alzheimer’s disease, seizures and muscle spasms.
Why would a neurotransmitter not work as it should?
Several things can go haywire and lead to neurotransmitters not working as they should. In general, some of these problems include:
· Too much or not enough of one or more neurotransmitters are produced or released.
· The receptor on the receiver cell (the nerve, muscle or gland) isn’t working properly. The otherwise normal functioning neurotransmitter can’t effectively signal the next cell.
· The cell receptors aren’t taking up enough neurotransmitter due to inflammation and damage of the synaptic cleft (see myasthenia gravis).
· Neurotransmitters are reabsorbed too quickly.
· Enzymes limit the number of neurotransmitters from reaching their target cell.
Problems with other parts of nerves, existing diseases or medications you may be taking can affect neurotransmitters. Also, when neurotransmitters don’t function as they should, disease can happen. For example:
· Not enough acetylcholine can lead to the loss of memory that’s seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
· Too much serotonin is possibly associated with autism spectrum disorders.
· An increase in activity of glutamate or reduced activity of GABA can result in sudden, high-frequency firing of local neurons in your brain, which can cause seizures.
· Too much norepinephrine and dopamine activity and abnormal glutamate transmission contribute to mania.
How do medications affect the action of neurotransmitters?
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants in the United States. (Health.) Developed in the 1970s, SSRIs are the first class of medication prescribed for depression.
The function of SSRIs is actually described in its name—selective serotonin reuptake inhibition. Serotonin is a naturally occurring substance in the body known as a neurotransmitter. It's also known as the "feel good" chemical. (Jenkins TA, 2016) Serotonin is found in the brain, central nervous system (CNS), and other parts of the body. Serotonin has a number of functions including mood regulation, memory, sleep, sexual function, and digestion, among others. While serotonin is linked with feelings of happiness, low levels of serotonin are linked to mood disorders like depression. (Publishing) SSRIs work by blocking the reabsorption, or reuptake, of serotonin and increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain. Increasing serotonin in the brain is linked with regulating anxiety, mood, and promoting a greater sense of well-being. (Purse, 2022)
In addition to the activity of each brain region, it also is important to consider the neurotransmitters providing communication between these regions. Increased activity in emotion-processing brain regions in patients who have an anxiety disorder could result from decreased inhibitory signaling by γ-amino-butyric-acid (GABA) or increased excitatory neurotransmission by glutamate. Genes whose products regulate monoaminergic signaling have become a prime area of research in the pathophysiology of mood and anxiety disorders, and they are thought to be critical for the mechanism of action of antidepressant drugs.
Genetic Contribution to Emotionality
Each anxiety disorder, as well as major depressive disorder (MDD), has both genetic and environmental contributions to vulnerability. In attempts to identify the genetic contribution for psychopathology, the candidate genes have largely been the same across diagnoses. Researchers have tended to concentrate on the genes whose products regulate the HPA axis and monoaminergic signaling. (Benisek, 2020) Ongoing research supports the hypothesis that a genetic predisposition may be shared among mood and anxiety disorders, with the individual clinical manifestation being a product of both genetic and environmental influences. In particular, epigenetic factors may permit a remarkably complex range of gene–environment interactions.
Genetics may play a role in how likely you are to get depression or anxiety. But they’re not the whole story. If someone in your family has either or both of these conditions, you’re more likely to, as well. But it doesn’t mean you definitely will. And you can have depression or an anxiety disorder even if no one else in your family does.
Keep in mind that most medical conditions aren’t only driven by genetics. Your environment, lifestyle, and personal experiences are also important. Families often share those things, which can make it hard to tell what role genetics play. There may be some mix of genetic risk and other things in a person’s daily life. Age may be a clue about whether your family might have a genetic link to anxiety or depression. If one of these conditions shows up in someone before the age of 20, their family members are more likely to, as well. In most cases, the younger the person is when they get anxiety or depression, the more likely it is to be hereditary.Anxiety and depression can still be genetic if they show up in your older family members. But often, new conditions in people that are over the age of 20 are linked to painful or stressful life events. People with depression usually feel hopeless. Other signs are lack of energy, crankiness or anger, sudden weight changes, loss of interest in hobbies, strong feelings of guilt, careless behavior, and problems focusing. These symptoms need to last for at least 2 weeks for a depression diagnosis.
Anxiety disorders have many similar symptoms to depression. You may have a loss of energy and lack of focus with both conditions. People with anxiety also commonly get very nervous, panic, have a faster heart rate, breathe rapidly, find it hard to sleep at night, have stomach problems, or notice that they avoid things that cause them to be anxious.
Anxious Teenagers Vs Drugs
Being a teenager can be stressful, both for kids and their parents. Many teenagers experience overwhelming anxiety and lack the tools to cope with it. Some adolescents worry intensely, struggle to sleep, obsess over the same negative thoughts, and have trouble socializing with others. They may even experience physical symptoms like nausea, fatigue, or muscle aches. In these cases, a teenager might have a diagnosable Anxiety Disorder (Kathleen Smith, 2022 ).
Teenagers are under a lot of stress these days, more than ever it seems. Dr. Bhatt believes that many factors contribute to increasing anxiety and sleep problems. “Poor sleep hygiene, excess caffeine consumption, increased academic and social stress, family dynamics dysfunction, as well an undiagnosed underlying psychiatric disturbances all could be contributing factors” (Bhatt).
Anxiety becomes problematic when it affects a teen’s social, occupational, or educational functioning. Here are a few examples of when a teen's anxious feelings may benefit from anxiety treatment:
• The teen thinks everyone is always staring at them. As a result, they refuse to eat lunch in the cafeteria and avoid talking in class.
• The teen survived a near-fatal car accident on a rainy evening. Several months later, they continue to have nightmares and flashbacks. They also refuse to get in a car when it’s raining.
• The teen has started experiencing panic attacks. They're worried a panic attack will happen at school, so they've started refusing to go (Amy Morin, 2022).
Approximately 60% of young people with an anxiety disorder don’t get treatment (Ghandour RM, 2018). The issue with this high percentage is that anxiety is treatable. Along with Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most commonly-used type of talk therapy for teens. CBT helps adolescents challenge negative thoughts they have about themselves or the world and also engage in positive ways of coping. Many therapists also use exposure therapy techniques with teens, helping them face their fears and learn to navigate being an adult in the world. One of the other effective teen anxiety treatments is medication.
“Medications are very useful in alleviating anxiety in the moment and helping adolescents sleep more regularly, but they cannot teach coping skills, mindfulness, or relaxation techniques which are also known to treat these two conditions,” (Nathan Bradley). “Parents should always follow the advice of their doctors and explore alternatives such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, which provide coping skills and skills training during sessions” (Nathan Bradley).
An untreated anxiety disorder puts a teenager at risk of lower school performance, poor social skills, and risky behaviors like substance abuse. Teenagers who are prescribed sleep or anti-anxiety medications are at a much increased risk of becoming dependent on them than those who are not (published). Sleep medications such as Ambien, Lunesta and Restoril, and anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax, Valium or Klonopin are commonplace these days. That’s a public health problem that can no longer be ignored (Carol J. Boyd). What Dr. Boyd found is that teens often share medications, and the more likely they are to have been prescribed these medications, the more likely they are to abuse them in the future, whether it’s to experiment or self-medicate. These teens may eventually need treatment for prescription drug abuse (step, 2022).
In the study, which surveyed over 2.700 middle- and high school-aged students in the Detroit area, teenagers who were prescribed these medications during the study period (three years) were 10 times more likely to obtain the medications illegally to get high or to experiment than teens who’d never been prescribed anti-anxiety or sleep medications. They were also three times more likely to use them to self-treat their anxiety or insomnia. What’s more, individuals prescribed these medications during their lifetime, but not during the study period, were 12 times more likely to use another’s person medications compared to those who’d never been prescribed them. At some point, nearly 9 percent had been prescribed these medications. Not only are prescription rates high, but teens are also sharing their medications — those both illegal and dangerous. “These medications are highly efficacious,” Boyd says. “That said, what many parents don’t realize is their abuse potential.” And they may not realize that there are alternative methods to treat what’s considered a growing problem: stress and anxiety among adolescents.
Research shows that the number of adolescents being prescribed sleep and anti-anxiety medications is astronomical, and with that comes increased abuse potential: using them to get high, mixing them with other drugs, and sharing them with other teenagers who might abuse them or become addicted themselves. According to a 2013 Monitoring the Future study, prescription drugs are the second-most abused category of drugs after marijuana. Anti-anxiety medications are especially problematic. “Benzodiazepine-class medications have a high risk for abuse and dependency,” says (Bhatt). “They can cause respiratory depression, coma, or even death if abused, especially if mixed with alcohol or other illicit substances.” Long-term use has been associated with not only cognitive problems, but also developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life. In fact, (Bhatt) says that it can take as little as two months to become physically dependent on these medications. Although only one in five teenagers will become addicted, “that’s what we’re worried about,” (Bhatt) says. Not only is it illegal to engage in non-medical use of these medications, but it’s also risky, especially combined with other drugs. “You mix them with alcohol, and you end up like Heath Ledger,” (Bhatt) says. “If I were a parent, that’s what I’d be worried about.” (Bhatt). These facts highlight the need for benzodiazepine users to seek treatment as soon as possible.
Benzodiazepine abuse is more common than you may think. Left untreated, abusing these drugs can negatively impact your relationships, career, and your physical and emotional health. Benzodiazepines are a type of medication known as tranquilizers. Familiar names include Valium and Xanax. They are some of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States. When people without prescriptions obtain and take these drugs for their sedating effects, use turns into abuse.
Sometimes people who have prescriptions misuse their medications, as well. Taking too much and running out of the prescription, being overly focused on when you can take the next one and feeling you can’t live without it might also be signs of a problem. Benzodiazepines act on the central nervous system, produce sedation and muscle relaxation, and lower anxiety levels.
Benzodiazepines are commonly abused. This abuse is partially related to the toxic effects that they produce and also to their widespread availability. They can be chronically abused or, as seen more commonly in hospital emergency departments, intentionally or accidentally taken in overdose. Death and serious illness rarely result from benzodiazepine abuse alone; however, they are frequently taken with either alcohol or other medications. The combination of benzodiazepines and alcohol can be dangerous -- and even lethal (Jennifer Casarella, 2021).
Although some people may have a genetic tendency to become addicted to drugs, there is little doubt that environmental factors also play a significant role. Some of the more common environmental influences are low socioeconomic status, unemployment, and peer pressure.
At normal or regular doses, benzodiazepines relieve anxiety and insomnia. They are usually well tolerated. Sometimes, people taking benzodiazepines may feel drowsy or dizzy. This side effect can be more pronounced with increased doses.High doses of benzodiazepines can produce more serious side effects. Signs and symptoms of acute toxicity or overdose may include the following:
· Drowsiness
· Confusion
· Dizziness
· Blurred vision
· Weakness
· Slurred speech
· Lack of coordination
· Difficulty breathing
· Coma
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