Stress Drugs

Question 1

Beta blockers

Answer 1

controls adrenaline (fight or flight) which increases heartbeat and blood pressure. Can be taken twice a day in order to maintain blood pressure levels. Taylor found them beneficial in reducing anxiety in musicians and public speakers and enhanced their performance.

Question 2

benzodiazepines

Answer 2

most used AAD, most common in valium and labium. They send messages to other nerves and the body as a whole. Releases GABA which is the body’s natural form of anxiety relief.

Question 3

Beta blacked evaluation

Answer 3

ADVANTAGES: Effective- Kahn followed nearly 250 patients over 8 weeks and found BZ’s reduced their anxiety. Easy- require little effort from user. DISADVANTAGES: Addictive, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, doesn’t address underlying cause of stress.

Question 4

benzodiazepines evaluation

Answer 4

ADVANTAGES: Effective, no side effects and doesn’t alter body, provides long term ways of managing stress, research like Dworkin & Dworkin (found it helps teens with scoliosis control spine muscles) backs it up. DISADVANTAGES: expensive, doesn’t treat cause, requires lots of practice, some argue it doesn’t have benefits and stems from patients drive.