Anxiolytics: Types, How it Works, Uses, Risks, Alternatives, and More
Anxiolytics are medications used to treat anxiety disorders. Learn about their types, mechanisms, common uses, potential risks, alternatives, and safe usage guidelines to manage anxiety effectively and responsibly.
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Last updated on 3rd Jul, 2025
Anxiolytics, or anti-anxiety medications, are prescribed to help alleviate symptoms of anxiety disorders, such as feelings of worry, nervousness, and fear. Different types of anxiety disorders affect millions of people globally, hampering their physical and mental health.
According to the data available, approximately 3.3% of inhabitants in India struggled with trauma and anxiety in the year 2023.
The anxiolytic drugs help to lessen the intensity of anxiety in such a way that the sufferer may handle that particular situation properly. This article focuses on anxiolytics, their types, how they operate, why they are used, the dangers they pose, and other methods that can act as anxiolytics or even replace the medicine.
Types of Anxiolytics
There are various kinds of drugs that help reduce anxiety. These include:
Antidepressants: These are widely prescribed medications used in managing depression and many other conditions, including anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc. They are available in different categories that include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), atypical antidepressants, etc..
Azapirones: These are a class of drugs that target the 5-HT1A (5-Hydroxytryptamine 1A) receptor. They are used in the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). This is a relatively new class of drugs with both anxiolytic and mood-elevating effects.
Antihistamines: These are some of the most widely used drugs that can be purchased without any doctor’s prescription. They help alleviate allergy symptoms and treat other disorders, such as stomach issues and motion sickness. These medicines are classified into two categories: H1 (Histamine 1) receptor and H2 (Histamine 2) receptor antihistamines.
Benzodiazepines: These drugs are called central nervous system depressants. They can raise the levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain, which is an amino acid that serves as a neurotransmitter.
Barbiturates: Although quite similar to benzodiazepines, these drugs are more powerful. Its doses can help alleviate anxiety and foster relaxation. Some common types of barbiturates include pentobarbital, phenobarbital, and amobarbital.
Non-Benzodiazepine Drugs (Z-drugs): Although non-benzodiazepine drugs have chemically different structures from benzodiazepines, they also interact with the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. Non-benzodiazepines are normally recommended for short-term use by doctors. Some examples of these include zaleplon, zolpidem, and zopiclone.
Beta-blockers: While normally prescribed for heart problems, a physician may prescribe propranolol, which is a type of beta-blocker for anxiety disorder. These medicines can be used to manage the symptoms of nervousness, such as heart rate, sweating, and shaking. They may be prescribed for persons with phobias or severe anxiety during some activities.
How Anxiolytics Work?
Anxiolytics work to decrease anxiety by interacting with various systems of the brain. The action depends on the kind of drug used.
Increasing Activity of Cells: Some anxiolytics, such as benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepines, and barbiturates, increase the activity of brain cells through the facilitation of GABA release. The GABA relaxes the nervous system, thereby easing anxiety.
Decreasing Activity of Cells: Beta-blockers, another category of anxiolytic, slow down the action of cells in the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the "fight-or-flight" response. Beta-blockers slow down the rate of this response, which helps to alleviate some of the physical symptoms of anxiety.
Inhibition of Neurotransmitter Reabsorption: Other anxiolytics, such as certain antidepressants, block the reabsorption of neurotransmitters, including serotonin and norepinephrine. The higher levels of these neurotransmitters can help stabilise mood and curb anxiety over time.
What are the Common Medical Uses of Anxiolytics?
Here are the common medical uses and applications of anxiolytics:
Treating Anxiety Disorders: Anxiolytics are mainly prescribed to treat generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), wherein affected individuals suffer from severe worry and stress that persists for over six months. These drugs reduce anxiety and ameliorate function in everyday life.
Social Phobia Management: Social anxiety disorders, or social phobias, present strong feelings of fear regarding social interactions, such as meeting new people or talking in public. Anxiolytics act to alleviate both the emotional and physical symptoms, such as nausea and sweating, associated with this condition.
Sedating Agents for Medical Procedures: Often, anxiolytics are used in the form of sedatives prior to medical procedures in order to sedate the patient and lessen anxiety over surgery or treatment. This streamlines the medical process for both patients and staff.
Combined Therapy with Psychotherapy: The use of anxiolytic agents is common for their combination with psychotherapy or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Using medication in combination with psychotherapy helps a patient manage anxiety, while the psychological methods address the root causes of anxiety, thereby enhancing long-term well-being.
Side Effects of Consuming Anxiolytics
Some notable short-term side effects of anxiolytics can comprise:
Slurred speech
Low heart rate
Irregular breathing
Memory loss
Low blood pressure
Dizziness
Nausea
Confusion
Depression
Nightmares
Some long-term side effects of taking anxiolytics may inlclude:
Mood swings
Vision problems
Aggressive behaviour
Sexual problems
Breathing problems
Sleeplessness
Liver damage
Chronic fatigue
What are the Warnings for Anxiolytics?
There are various harmful effects of anxiolytics that everyone must adhere to before consuming them. Here are the major warnings for anxiolytics:
Addiction Risk: If anxiolytics are used for a long time, in a dose higher than recommended amounts, a person can become addicted. In the long run, a greater dose of the medicine is going to be required to get the same result, which increases dependency on higher doses of anxiolytics.
Withdrawal Symptoms: Stopping anxiolytics abruptly is dangerous because patients are likely to experience withdrawal symptoms such as seizures, confusion as well as sleeping difficulties. The dangerous effects, such as addiction or withdrawal, are likely to appear if the dosage is stopped suddenly, something which doctors recommend only sparingly with drugs like barbiturates.
Overdose Risk: In overdose, the drugs can lead to a slow rate of breathing, severe sleepiness to the extent of almost passing out, confusion and even death. Barbiturates are most dangerous when they are taken in over-dosage.
Drug Interactions: Anxiolytics may interact with other drugs and chemicals. It is dangerous to combine them with alcohol, opiates or other central nervous system (CNS) depressants because these combinations can cause severe respiratory depression.
Who Should Avoid Anxiolytics?
Here are the people who need to avoid taking anxiolytics:
People with a family history of heart disease
Individuals who have recently suffered from a heart attack
Persons with liver illness
People with a genetic blood condition known as porphyria\
Individuals with bipolar disorder
Patients having schizophrenia
Any pregnant women
Persons under the age of 18
Persons with type 1 or type 2 diabetes
Anyone having epilepsy
Patients with kidney disease
Anyone having a tumour on the adrenal glands leading to high blood pressure (pheochromocytoma)
What are the Alternatives to Anxiolytics?
Here are the notable alternative methods to manage anxiety and stress instead of taking anxiolytics:
Eating a well-balanced diet with adequate fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and healthy fats
Avoiding oily and processed foods containing harmful ingredients
Avoiding sodas and sugar-enriched food items
Staying away from smoking and alcohol
Drinking more water
Using essential oils
Performing yoga, deep breathing, and meditation
Conclusion
Anxiolytics are a helpful drug to treat anxiety disorders, especially in alleviating symptoms such as intense worries and fears. However, they feature few side effects if anyone stops taking these medicines suddenly and without getting guidance from the doctor.
People suffering from depression and anxiety should look into both medical and natural ways of coping with anxiety with a long-term approach to mental healthcare.
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