What You Don’t Know About Anxiety Medication

Anxiety is our country’s most common mental health condition. Every year, 40 million American adults—that’s more than 18% of the population—develop some form of anxiety disorder. These numbers are rising due to a phenomenon called post-COVID anxiety. In many cases, the standard treatment approach involves prescribing anti-anxiety medications. But there’s a lot you may not know about how these drugs negatively impact your brain and body.

WHAT ARE ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATIONS?

To treat various types of anxiety and panic attacks, many physicians prescribe antidepressants and/or anti-anxiety pills. Some of the most commonly prescribed anti-anxiety medications include benzodiazepines (often called “benzos” for short).

This is a group of drugs that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies as “depressants that produce sedation and hypnosis, relieve anxiety and muscle spasms, and reduce seizures.”

Common prescription brand names are Valium, Xanax, Halcion, Ativan, and Klonopin. But just because these drugs are prescribed by doctors for the treatment of anxiety doesn’t mean they’re harmless. Here are just a few of the ways they can interfere with the health of your body and brain.

5 HARMFUL EFFECTS OF ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATIONS

1. Anxiety medications can lead to brain toxicity.

Though doctors often prescribe anti-anxiety medications for mental health treatment, these drugs can actually be harmful to the brain. Benzodiazepines not only suppress brain activity, but they can also make the brain look toxic over time.

Brain SPECT imaging at Amen Clinics shows that benzodiazepines for anxiety are clearly associated with unhealthy-looking brains. On SPECT scans, overall decreased blood flow to the brain is commonly seen with benzo use. Low blood flow is the number-one brain imaging predictor that an individual will eventually develop Alzheimer’s disease.

2. Anxiety medications can be habit-forming, addictive, and prone to misuse.

There’s a reason why benzodiazepines are listed by the DEA. It’s because they are frequently abused. Since they slow the nervous system and lead to a more relaxed state, people may take them to achieve a “downer” effect or create a feeling of euphoria. Abuse of these drugs can create a host of problems, including amnesia, hostility, irritability, and vivid or disturbing dreams, according to the DEA.

Overdoses are also a possibility. Benzodiazepine overdose symptoms include extreme drowsiness, confusion, impaired coordination, decreased reflexes, and respiratory depression. In some cases, this can lead to coma and possibly death.

In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that deaths from overdoses involving benzos quadrupled from 2002 to 2015. Taking benzos in combination with other depressants, such as alcohol and/or sleeping pills, increases the chances of overdose.

That’s no surprise, as prescriptions continue to rise. One study, published in a 2021 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association, noted that the pandemic ushered in an increase in benzodiazepine prescriptions among women.

Another 2020 report cited that 30.6 million adults (12.6% of the population) reported past-year benzodiazepine use annually. While 25.3 million (10.4%) claimed to take it as prescribed, 5.3 million (2.2%) admitted to misuse. And misuse actually accounted for 17.2% of benzodiazepine use overall.

Even if these drugs are not abused, they can be very difficult to stop once they are a part of someone’s daily life. As the body withdraws from anxiety pills, an individual may experience a long and painful recovery process before feeling normal again.

Note that if you’ve taken any kind of benzodiazepine for a long time, don’t stop taking it suddenly. This can increase your anxiety and lead to a long list of other unpleasant side effects. Find a physician who can help you taper off the drug and who can educate you about natural solutions for anxiety (some suggestions are listed below).

3. Anxiety medications have been associated with dementia.

In some studies, anxiety disorder medications have been examined for their link to an increased incidence of dementia. One 2016 report suggested that “long-term use of benzodiazepines and long-acting benzodiazepines are strongly associated with an increased risk of dementia.”

In addition, a 2019 analysis of 10 studies found that using benzodiazepines for long periods of time increased the likelihood of developing dementia by over 50%.

These findings have since been bolstered by a 2022 study published in Nature Neuroscience that examined how these drugs interfere with brain function. Researchers found that benzodiazepines damage microglial cells in the brain, which then interfere with the brain’s synaptic connections. Essentially, it interrupts communication, which brings on the symptoms of cognitive decline.

4. Anxiety medications may contribute to treatment-resistant depression.

Mental health issues commonly occur in tandem. But when we tackle one mental health issue by prescribing medication only to cause another, there’s a problem. One study, published in The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, illustrates this concept. Researchers examined treatment-resistant depression and categorized participants into low, medium, and high, based on the number of medications taken for their depression.

They found some similarities in the “high” treatment-resistant (TR) group, including a longer duration of depressive episodes and a higher number of comorbid medical and anxiety disorders. These patients were also more likely to believe that medication was contributing to their current depression.

“The most striking finding was benzodiazepine use, which was significantly more common in the high TR group and within both the melancholic and non-melancholic subsets,” the report concluded.

5. Anxiety medications may be linked to nutrient deficiencies.

Nutrient deficiencies can hamper everything from our moods to cognitive abilities, and anxiety disorder medication has been linked to numerous deficiencies. For example, one study reports that these patients are significantly more likely to experience vitamin D deficiency. Low vitamin D levels have been associated with 200-plus health conditions, including depression, psychosis, autism, and heart disease.

Some people who have taken anti-anxiety medications have reported lower levels of many other nutrients, such as melatonin, folate, calcium, and vitamins B1, B6, B12, and K. This phenomenon is called “drug-induced nutrient depletion.”

Unfortunately, nutrient deficiencies only make mental health issues worse. It’s a potentially deadly combination, as seen in the research that shows benzodiazepines increase the risk of attempting or dying by suicide.

NATURAL ALTERNATIVES TO ANXIETY MEDICATION

Fortunately, there are many ways to tackle anxiety disorders that do not require potentially addictive and harmful medications. Free and easy methods—available to anyone, anytime—include meditation, prayer, and deep breathing. Mindful, slow movement also helps, so you might try qi gong, yoga, or tai chi.

Certain nutritional supplements, especially GABA, L-theanine, and magnesium, have also been associated with decreased anxiety levels. Of course, eating a nutrient-packed, healthy diet is an essential part of any anti-anxiety treatment plan.

For clinical intervention, neurofeedback or hypnosis can work to calm an active mind. In addition, seeing a mental health professional who offers brain imaging and lab testing to rule out other potential medical conditions that may be contributing to anxiety is critical.

The proper combination of medication-free treatment techniques can work wonders for many people who want to keep anxiety in check. Work with your mental health professional to find the right anti-anxiety program for you.

Anxiety disorders and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.