WHAT DRUG THERAPY IS LIKE
In this section, we'll look at some of the main emotional and mental symptoms that are often helped by means of drug therapy. Since all medications have potential side effects, we will look at these as well.
Anxiety
Excessive anxiety causes very unpleasant symptoms: dizziness or light-headedness, sweating, pounding heart, vomiting, diarrhea, shaking, muscle tension, inability to sleep. Many of these symptoms can be controlled by antianxiety drugs. All of these drugs can lead to psychological dependence when they are used regularly over periods of time that vary with the person and the medication. For this reason, they are normally used for short periods, often at the beginning of psychotherapy.
The most commonly prescribed antianxiety drugs include these (trade names):
Atarax
Ativan
Centrax
Clonopin
Dalmane
Doriden
Equanil
Librium
Loxitane
Paxipam
Restoril
Serax
Tranxene
Tybatran
Valium
Valmid
Xanax
Although relatively small percentages of patients experience them, as with most drugs, there may be side effects, including drowsiness, impaired judgment and performance, nausea/vomiting, ataxia (loss of voluntary muscle coordination), and agitation (paradoxical restlessness).
Patients who have taken an antianxiety drug for a period of time are often instructed to reduce their dosage gradually to avoid mild, infrequently severe, withdrawal symptoms.
Antianxiety drugs can reduce agitation and produce a relative sense of calm. But, unfortunately, patients usually develop a tolerance to any antianxiety drug after three to four months, and then the drug loses its effectiveness. Antianxiety drugs are usually limited, then, to short-term treatment. Long-term recovery from the symptoms of anxiety is the task of psychotherapy: to help clients change their attitudes, behavior, or way of life.