What medicine to take for anxiety and depression

Anxiety and depression are common diseases in psychology or psychiatry. Early patients with the disease often show persistent bad mood, anxiety, wild thoughts, decreased energy, and no interest in anything. In the middle stage, some patients will also show symptoms such as less talking, less movement, fear of seeing people, fear of speaking, negativity and pessimism, and decreased appetite. Patients in the early stage do not need drug treatment, but patients in the middle stage and beyond are best treated with Chinese patent medicine. This article reviews anti-anxiety medications.

Anxiolytics are medications used primarily to relieve anxiety and tension. Mainly benzodiazepines, including chlordiazepoxide, diazepam and their derivatives. This type of drug has good therapeutic effect, high safety, few side effects, and has anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety, muscle tension relaxant, sedative and hypnotic effects. It is the most widely used in clinical practice.

Anti-anxiety drugs are divided into four main categories:

(1) Benzodiazepines. Such drugs include diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, norazepam, nitrazepam, fluazifop, etc. This type of drug has antianxiety, sedative and hypnotic effects in large doses. It is also an effective muscle relaxant and anti-epileptic drug. The drug mainly acts on the reticular formation and limbic system of the brain, thus producing a sedative and hypnotic effect.

(2) Carbamates. Such as meprobamate, carisoprodol, etc. This type of drug has sedative and anti-anxiety effects and can be used for insomnia. This drug is mainly used for the tense and anxious state of neurosis.

(3) Diphenylmethanes. Such as Dingtaile, this type of drug has sedative, weak tranquilizer and muscle relaxant effects, and has antihistamine effects, so it can be used to treat insomnia. It is generally used for mild anxiety, nervous and agitated states, menopausal anxiety and other mental and neurological symptoms.

(4) Others, such as fennel and oryzanol. Oryzanol mainly adjusts autonomic nervous function, reduces endocrine imbalance, and improves mental and neurological disorders. It can not only improve the anxiety state, but also has a good effect on insomnia caused by anxiety.

In addition to the above four categories, there are also β-adrenergic receptor blockers, phenothiazines, tricyclic antidepressants, barbiturates and other sedatives, which are sometimes used in combination in clinical practice.