A lot of people don’t realize the difference between psychologists and psychiatrists. It doesn’t help that a lot of places offer “therapy with medication management” so it’s all through the same place but with two different people.
I’ve been in a situation where my therapist was a social worker, but he made his recommendations to the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist barely talked to me directly, he just had me fill out some tests about how I was feeling, and compared those results to the recommendations by the social worker.
And then prescribed me whatever the hell concoction made sense to him at the time.
Also, this anon is probably not worried about getting the details right about his friend’s treatments. He probably didn’t use the right word here.
All things considered, it was better than what I expected to get from the Military.
Even still, no combination of the meds we tried gave me good results, but taking a vacation and visiting home did. This experience is largely what has put me off from meeting with anyone else since then.
They basically suppress the flight or fight response in you. Not like a SSRI or a NDRI. Works on your body’s lymphatic system. Also good for heart issues, as that’s what it was originally used for AFAIK. Not a psychiatrist, just know a lot about psych meds, went to school for psych and soc.
Ah I see, interesting. I never put two and two together with the name. I know SNRIs/SSRIs are alpha antagonists, so I guess it’s similar but they’re like beta antagonists? Is that correct?
SSRIs and SNRIs aren’t necessarily alpha blockers (although some similar drugs like mirtazipine (Remeron) have some action there).
SSRIs get their name because they are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, meaning the prevent reuptake of serotonin at the neuron junction, and that increases action of serotonin in that junction. And that is what causes the anti-anxiety or anti-depressive effects. SNRIs do the same thing, but with both serotonin and norepinephrine.
Many drugs have effects at other receptors (like histamine) that may cause adverse effects like sleepiness.
Beta blockers block the action of adrenaline/epinephrine at beta-adrenergic receptors, primarily found on the heart (beta-1) or lungs (beta-2). Beta blockers are primarily used in heart failure, heart arrhythmias, hypertension, and performance anxiety.
Alpha blocker also block adrenaline, but primarily in the vascular system (alpha-1). Alpha blockers are often used for enlarged prostate, hypertension, and some uses related to anxiety or PTSD.
Certain alpha and beta blockers can get into the brain and may have effects in anxiety have other effects like fatigue or weight gain.
Beta blockers work on the adrenergic system, not the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is used to transport immune cells as well as fluid that has absorbed into the intercellular space from the circulatory system.
But yeah, they essentially block the function of adrenaline/epinephrine on the heart primarily, slowing heart rate and potentially helping with anxiety through action in the central nervous system.
They essentially block your body from releasing adrenaline. It’s commonly used for anxiety and it’s rumored to be why mark Zuckerberg looked and sounded so robot-like during the debate hearings. Also used for migraines, high blood pressure, heart palpitations and a list of other things.
Beta blockers are usually prescribed for heart problems, but what they actually do is block boosts of adrenaline. That can help people with anxiety, because anxiety manifests as an adrenaline boost when trying to do certain things, leaving them shaky and nervous. If someone is anxious about speaking in public, or talking to new people, etc, beta blockers help with that a lot. They're a game changer for people with social anxiety.
I have heard of them being used psychologically. From the wiki about beta blockers,
many controlled trials in the past 25 years indicate beta blockers are effective in anxiety disorders
Musicians, public speakers, actors, and professional dancers have been known to use beta blockers to avoid performance anxiety, stage fright, and tremor during both auditions and public performances.
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