We’ve all heard about anxiety and depression, whether we have experienced them ourselves or know someone who has. While it can be common to feel anxious or down at times, these feelings can sometimes be persistent and impact our daily life. When this happens, anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications are two tools that can offer some much-needed relief. But how do they work? What are the potential side effects? Starting a new medication can be overwhelming and scary, so let’s break it down.
The Brain and Our Mood:
For us to understand how medication works in the brain, first we must understand what is happening in our brain that is affecting our mood. We know that the brain is a complex network of many electrical signals. These signals are constantly communicating with each other to manage every function in our body. One particularly important job they do is to help maintain a careful balance of certain chemical messengers- neurotransmitters- that help manage our mood. You’ve probably heard of Dopamine and Serotonin? They are two examples of important neurotransmitters that play a big role in regulating our mood, sleep, and motivation- as well as many other important functions.
Neurotransmitters Not in Balance?
However, when these neurotransmitters are no longer in balance, we begin to experience mood changes like anxiety and depression. There are a variety of reasons for this imbalance, making it difficult for them to fulfill their job of keeping us happy. This is where medications come into play! They help us restore that careful balance of neurotransmitters and improve how we feel.
Restoring the Balance: What Kinds of Medications are Used?
Let’s do a quick overview of which types of medications are used to treat anxiety and depression. The goal of antidepressants is to elevate our mood. Meanwhile, the goal of anti-anxiety medications, aka anxiolytics, is to reduce our stress and anxiety levels. Although there are a few different types, they all work similarly. The medications affect those super important happy chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) in our brain to help restore the balance.
Here are some of the most commonly used medication types:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): Citalopram
- Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs): Venlafaxine
- Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs): Buproprion
- Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs): Amitriptyline
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs): Isocarboxazid
- Antihistamine: Hydroxyzine
- Beta blockers: Propranolol
Which ones are used to treat anxiety and which ones are used to treat depression? Lucky for us, most of them can be used as both an antidepressant and an anxiolytic. Others, such as the antihistamines (Hydroxyzine) or the beta blockers (Propranolol) are more specific to anxiety.
Maintaining the Balance: Side Effects
One of the most important questions for us to ask when starting a new medication is “What are the potential side effects?”. Side effects can be scary, especially when we do not know to expect them. However, we want you to know that these medications are very safe, but can have some potential side effects just like any medication. In fact, several of these side effects can go away with time as your body gets used to the medication, or there may be ways that we can combat them if they persist. Here are some of the most common side effects:
- Nausea
- Dry mouth
- Headaches
- Insomnia or drowsiness
- Weight changes
- Sexual dysfunction
If you are experiencing any of these side effects or have questions about them, please reach out to us, we are here to help. There are many options and no “one-size fits all” with medication or treatment. Genetic testing, or GeneSight®, is an excellent option to help cut down on the timeline to find a medication that works well with your body and lowers the risk of side effects. This is a simple swab of the inside of your cheek that tells you, based on your genetics, which medications you are more likely to tolerate well or react poorly to. You can read more about it here.
ETA: How Long Do These Medications Take to Start Working?
That depends. Some of these medications start working immediately (antihistamines for anxiety) and are used on an “as-needed” basis. In contrast, others are used for long-term treatment and may take 2-3 weeks for a noticeable effect and 4-6 weeks for full effectiveness. These longer-term medications are taken daily and subsequently, should not be stopped abruptly. If you feel the need to change or stop your medication, please reach out to us first. Stopping these medications suddenly can lead to some withdrawal symptoms that are unpleasant and, most importantly, avoidable.
I Want More Information, Who Do I Contact?
If you want more information or are curious about your treatment options please reach out to us, via email or phone call. Here at The Traini Counseling Group, we offer counseling services and medication management services with a team of highly trained psychotherapists. Our team is dedicated to helping you and your family thrive mentally and physically here in Flint, MI, and Genesee County.