An intense panic attack is usually followed by the administration of anti anxiety medicaltion to prevent other similar episodes. However, tranquilizers don’t offer a cure for the health problem and they also have the disadvantage of causing all sorts of side effects. Here are some of the unpleasant and sometimes paradoxical adverse reactions triggered by anti-anxiety medication in general. While the main benefit from their use consists of the relaxation of the nerves, too much soothing can make the patient feel sleepy even when you need alertness.
Slow reflexes, poor coordination and fatigue are the anti-anxiety medication side effects resulting from the drugs blocking some specific chemical secretion in the brain. Some people have even reported dizziness, confusion, disorientation and impaired thinking, not to mention the impossibility to operate machines and drive. The extensive use of anti-anxiety medication can also cause depression with or without suicidal feelings. The problem is that such drugs not only eliminate anxiety but also make it impossible for one to feel pleasure or even pain, which can often go hand in hand with depression.
Some reactions to anti-anxiety medication are truly paradoxical. For instance, tranquilizers are supposed to induce calm and relaxation, but an increase of the irritability and agitation level has sometimes been signaled out. Plus, mania, hostility and even rage have been noticed in some cases. The severest forms of side effects include hallucinations and aggressive behaviors, which, although rare, remain very dangerous. More than half of the paradoxical reactions to anti-anxiety drugs has been reported with children or the elderly, as well as with patients with developmental disabilities.
Consequently, choosing the treatment to stop anxiety attacks well and complementing it with some other form of therapy represent essential stages for the patient’s full recovery, and thus should be considered as priorities for any treatment program or approach. Anti-anxiety medication only eliminates or alleviates symptoms without bringing an improvement to the health condition in any way. The factor or the problem responsible for the panic attacks remains lurking at the back of the mind, somehow camouflaged, and once the medical treatment is discontinued, you’re likely to experience anxiety all over again. Therefore, the therapeutic efforts should be directed towards attacking anxiety and depression by identifying and eliminating the cause and not merely treating the unpleasant symptoms of anxiety.
