Stress-Drug Therapy

Question 1

What do beta blockers do?

Answer 1

• Act directly on the sympathetic nervous system by reducing the impact of the FoF
• Reduces heart rate and lowers blood pressure; symptoms associated with stress and acts on body not the brain
• Reduce responsiveness of the sympathetic ganglia and nerves

Question 2

What do BZs do?

Answer 2

• e.g. valium
• Increase activity of GABA = decreases serotonin activity
• Low serotonin = reduces stress

Question 3

What do Beta Blockers (BBs) do?

Answer 3

• Reduce activity of adrenaline and noradrenaline
• They do this by binding to receptors on the cells of the heart and other parts of the body which usually stimulated during this arousal, making it therefore harder to stimulate the cells when blocked

Question 4

What is an example of beta blockers?

Answer 4

Heart = beat slower = less force so blood vessels don’t contract easily = fall in blood pressure = less stress on heart = person feels calmer and less anxious