Imagine that you are a psychiatrist or a psychologist with prescription privileges. You are treating a client with generalized anxiety disorder. Identify the three classes of medications you might prescribe, and briefly note their general mechanism of action in the brain. For each class, write one or two sentences reflecting how you might describe its advantages and disadvantages to the client.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: (1) Benzodiazepines—encourage GABA activity. “On the hand, benzodiazepines have been used for a long time and are very effective in reducing anxiety symptoms for people with generalized anxiety disorders. They also work quickly. However, the symptoms return when the medication is no longer used, and people may become dependent on the medication.”
(2) Azapirones—influence serotonin. “The azapirones are newer and have fewer side effects. They do however, influence the cognitive more than the physiological aspects of anxiety.”
(3) Antidepressants—tend to influence serotonin. “Antidepressants are effective treatments for generalized anxiety disorders. They do take time to work, though.”
Learning Objective: 8.3 Distinguish among the major anxiety disorders, their causes, and treatment.
Cognitive Domain: Analysis
Answer Location: Biological Treatment
Difficulty Level: Medium