If you suffer from anxiety or sleeping problems, your GP may decide to prescribe you lorazepam or alprazolam, otherwise known as xanax. Both of these drugs, which belong to the benzodiazepine family, work by targeting the chemical responsible for creating calming effects in the body - gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
While both of these drugs can be used to treat anxiety, alprazolam can also be prescribed to help control seizures caused by epilepsy. While these can be effective at treating symptoms of anxiety and some other problems, one clinical psychologist has warned that they should not be wholly relied on in patients.
Fernando Azor, a psychologist who regularly creates content on social media, told his followers on TikTok, that benzodiazepines can help 'calm' the symptoms of anxiety but do not tackle the underlying symptoms. In particular, he highlights that physical symptoms associated with anxiety are not always inherently bad or something that needs urgent clinical treatment."
Physical sensation of anxiety
In a recent video, originally posted in Spanish, Fernando said: "If you have taken Lorazepam or Alprazolam to resolve an anxiety attack, you have to consider what is behind an anxiety crisis, and those peaks of alertness and concern, so that you can manage them, in addition to using the help of one of these drugs. These drugs, Alprazolam and Lorazepam, are well-known drugs that have a very significant effect in reducing levels of alertness, worry and distress.
"What happens is that people who have anxiety crises are not capable of facing and dealing with these physical symptoms caused by anxiety. We often associate a rapid heartbeat, blurred vision, feelings of strangeness or nervousness as something really negative that must be avoided at all costs.
"Nobody likes feeling that, but it is a very logical and reasonable symptom, depending on how we perceive something or the objective nature of what threatens us. It doesn't matter if it's subjective or objective. If we perceive a situation as a threat, it makes sense for our body to react."
READ MORE: 'Doctors dismissed our baby's runny nose when it was super-rare, deadly disease'
READ MORE: Biohacking mum, 38, spends £2K a month to look 20 years younger: 'I just glow'
Creating coping strategiesFernando also highlights that an effective strategy for tackling anxiety is to create coping mechanisms that help to tackle the underlying causes, especially in the case of an anxiety attack. Similarly, in its guidance for generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), the NHS highlights that treatment from a GP may include talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) alongside medicinal treatment.
Fernando adds: "The problem with anxiety crises is that we end up looking for the drug, which takes little time to take effect, especially if you put it under the tongue, when the effect is further abbreviated. We will effectively make the feeling disappear, but we will create the sensation that all symptoms of alertness and concern are wrong.
"And that would be like saying that being hungry is wrong. It is a sensation that can sometimes be very intense, even unpleasant, but it is not inherently bad. What happens then?
"Eating solves the issue. However, when it comes to anxiety, the only thing we do is create more sensation of distress and further dependence on a drug without creating a strategy to cope with it. "
"Through psychotherapy, it is possible to train people in skills and experiences that reduce the perception of discomfort when faced with symptoms of anxiety. The person learns not only through logic but also through experiences to live with these feelings without wanting to eliminate them so quickly.
"In this sense, it would not be as necessary to take Alprazolam, and it would effectively help moderate the person’s feelings of anguish, nervousness, or discomfort, until they disappear at some point."
If you are experiencing signs of untreated anxiety, including difficulty sleeping, difficulty controlling your feelings, or feeling anxious a lot of the for at least six months, it is generally recommended that you see your GP. Guidance from the NHS highlights that your GP may offer a range of treatments, including:
Further guidance on generalised anxiety disorder, including its treatments, can be found here.
