Medicines for neurosis for adults. Tablets for neurosis: a review of effective drugs. Recipes for medicinal preparations

When neurosis develops, drugs for its treatment are prescribed only by a doctor according to an individual regimen. Drug therapy has a fairly strong effect on the central nervous system Therefore, medications should be taken with extreme caution and following the exact dosage.

In general modern means for neuroses they effectively fight such an unpleasant pathology, eliminating the problem. In addition, physiotherapeutic technologies, acupuncture and homeopathy provide effective assistance for neuroses.

The essence of the problem

Neurosis is mental disorder of the nervous system, which has specific signs of a neurogenic nature. Neurosis manifests itself as follows:

• difficulty with psychological adaptation;
• irritability and nervousness;
• increased sensitivity to minor stressful situations;
• touchiness, tearfulness and slight vulnerability;
• fixation on certain situations;
• constant feeling anxiety;
• fast fatiguability;
• increased sensitivity to temperature, bright lighting, loud noise;
• decreased memory and concentration;
• insomnia and feeling of exhaustion after a night's sleep;
• decreased potency and sexual desire;
• vegetative disorders.

The emergence of neurosis is associated with prolonged exposure to neurogenic factors or CNS disorders. Its main causes are the following influences:

• prolonged emotional or psychological overload;
• short-term, but quite strong stress;
• physical overload, especially if they are combined with emotional stress;
• hereditary predisposition;
• exhaustion of the nervous system;
• inability to relax;
• exhaustion of the body due to chronic disease.

Why are neuroses dangerous? This disease provokes conflicts on the street, at work, at home, which leads to social isolation of the sick person due to damaged relationships with loved ones, lack of friends, etc. It causes partial or temporary disability, a person is unable to perform certain jobs. Therefore, it is imperative to treat neurosis.

Drug treatment for neuroses

Drug therapy is the main treatment using modern drugs, which is prescribed by a doctor taking into account the manifestation of the disease. If the appearance of neurosis is associated with various anxieties, then strong antidepressants with an anti-anxiety effect are required.

If illness occurs due to overwork, it is necessary normalize energy parameters nervous system. This involves the use of drugs that stabilize metabolic processes in the brain and improve blood circulation.

What principles to use to treat neurosis are determined by a psychiatrist and neurologist, but the final decision is made after examination by an endocrinologist and cardiologist. When identifying somatic diseases, appropriate treatment is required, because often pathologies internal organs cause nervous disorders. Direct treatment of neurosis is a long-term complex procedure that can last 1 – 1.5 years.

It is drug therapy that forms the basis for the treatment of nervous system disorders with various manifestations. The doctor prescribes various drugs for neurosis:

• sedatives;
• tranquilizers;
• antidepressants;
• nootropic drugs;
• antioxidants;
• psychostimulants;
• neuroleptics.

Sedatives

Sedatives or sedatives can suppress nervousness, feelings of fear and anxiety, and panic attacks. They improve the emotional state and ensure the effectiveness of the psychotherapeutic session. Such remedies are divided into soothing substances of plant nature, bromides, barbiturates.

The most common herbal remedies are:

• alcohol tincture and valerian tablets;
• tinctures of peony and motherwort;
• products based on incarnate passionflower;
• medicines Fitosed, Sedariston, Neuroflux, Doppelgerts Mellisa, Valoserdin, Nobrassit.

Barbiturates are necessary to suppress the excited central nervous system. They have anticonvulsant and hypnotic effects. Basic products of this category: Phenobarbital, Hexobarbital, Barbamil.

Bromides are made from potassium and sodium salt hydrobromic acid. They have a calming effect and activate inhibitory processes in the cerebral cortex. This medicine should not be taken for too long. The main remedies are: Bromocamphor, potassium bromide powder, sodium bromide powder.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants help suppress depression and bad mood, and also have a stimulating effect on the central nervous system. The most commonly used medicine for neurosis is: Pyrazidol, Azafen, Amitriptyline, Imizin.

Amitriptyline has a sedative effect. At the very beginning of treatment, it causes drowsiness, but overall it improves mood and relieves anxiety. Its use is not recommended for prostate hypertrophy and glaucoma. Other antidepressants are in many ways similar, for example, Azafen, which also has no contraindications or side effects.

Imizin can lift your mood, eliminate inhibition, invigorate, improve appetite, but reduce potency. Its contraindications: renal, hepatic, cardiovascular diseases, infectious lesions, glaucoma.

Tranquilizers

In the treatment of neurosis, tranquilizers are used. These tablets are used at an advanced stage of neurosis accompanied by serious nervous attacks. They lead to a reduction in nervous tension, eliminate signs of anxiety and fear, and normalize the psychological state.

The drug Afobazol is considered a very effective tranquilizer, which is successfully used in the treatment of various diseases. But this drug is prohibited during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and hypolactasia.

The following are distinguished: effective means of such a type:

Tranquilizers also have a directional effect. For example, to eliminate various phobias, Seduxen and Librium are used, for severe depression - Phenazepam, for diencephalic problems - Elenium, for insomnia - Nitrazepam.

Other drugs

To enhance the calming effect in difficult situations, antipsychotics are prescribed. These may be the following tablets: Sonapax, Melleril, Haloperidol, Triftazin, Reserpine, Aminazine.

Improve general state Antioxidants help with neurosis. An effective medicine is Phenibut. Thanks to nootropic drugs blood circulation in the brain is normalized, its nutrition is improved, and memory is stabilized. Some drugs can have a stimulating effect. This could be, for example, Piracetam.

Thus, neurosis is very insidious disease, creating a lot of problems and leading to various complications that can be very serious. This disease needs to be treated. For this purpose, various medications are used, which are considered quite strong. Self-medication with such medications is prohibited.

Mental disorders – pathological condition, which is diagnosed in many people regardless of age, gender and profession. The cause of the disease is most often constant stress and poor nutrition. Sedatives for depression and neurosis help reduce the symptoms of the disease and return a person to a full-fledged lifestyle.

Neurosis destroys the patient’s psyche - he cannot be calm in society, communicate with other people, and as the disease progresses, it provokes the development of physiological disorders. Drug treatment for depression blocks a panic attack, thereby preventing the development of pathologies of internal systems and organs.

A patient suffering from psychological disorders is bothered by unpleasant symptoms, which can be divided into the following categories:

1. Pathologies of the cardiovascular system. There is discomfort in the area of ​​the heart muscle, the pulse quickens, the pressure rises, the patient has difficulty breathing, and blood is released unevenly.
2. Neurological diseases. With neuroses, the patient feels unpleasant tremors in the body, numbness of the limbs, dizziness, he is bothered by migraine attacks, and problems with sleep.
3. Gastroenterological disorders. A depressive state negatively affects the performance and structure of the gastrointestinal tract. Dry mouth and dyspeptic disorders appear, expressed in diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and cramps.

Degree of symptoms physical disorders at different people varies. If the patient consults a doctor at an advanced stage of the disease, the specialist will recommend medications for depression, taking into account the patient’s general condition and the nature of the psychological disorder.

Depression destroys the human psyche

Features of drug therapy

When taking pills to calm your nerves, you must follow all your doctor's recommendations. Treatment of depression with medications is based on the following principles:

1. Determine the cause of the disease: the patient should tell the psychiatrist or neurologist about the symptoms that bother him. Sometimes people hide something, believing that it is unimportant, which greatly complicates the diagnosis of depression and does not allow the doctor to really assess the patient’s condition, identify the cause of the neurosis and quickly cure the disease.
2. Get ready for long-term therapy. When starting treatment for a disease, a person must be aware that the recovery process will take 6-12 months. The main disadvantage of antidepressants is their delayed action; to neutralize the symptoms of neurosis, you should wait until the active substance accumulates in the blood plasma in the required concentration.
3. With depression, it is difficult to choose which drugs will be the safest and most effective; sometimes it is necessary to change sedatives several times to achieve the desired result.
4. Do not stop taking medications until the end of the course of therapy. Most patients stop antidepressant treatment as soon as signs of the disease disappear. Until complete recovery, medications are used according to a schedule with a decrease in dosage, otherwise the condition may only worsen. With gradual withdrawal of the drug, the nervous system begins to produce the required amount of hormones and function without maintenance therapy.
5. Treatment of neurosis is based not only on pills - antipsychotics, tranquilizers or antidepressants will help eliminate the symptoms of the disease, but will not relieve the patient of the cause that triggered the development of the disease. It is necessary to identify and neutralize the irritating factor - this could be negative emotions, constant stress, lack of vitamins, minerals, overexertion, hormonal imbalances in human body, somatic pathologies.

In addition to determining the causes of neurotic symptoms, a patient suffering from depression should undergo a course of psychotherapy, which will help him understand what his problems are and learn to overcome them without harming his life. emotional state. A person must change his daily routine, get rid of bad habits, and master relaxation techniques.

A neurologist or psychotherapist should be aware of the recommendations of other specialists. Some drugs for treating depression may make other drugs work better or worse.

The principle of action of tablets against neurosis

Antidepressants work by increasing the amount of neurotransmitters - hormones - in the brain. The medicine, gradually accumulating in tissues and blood plasma, contributes to the growth of its volume. To obtain the desired result, it is necessary to use the drug for a long time - from 2 weeks to several months.

Taking anti-depression pills without a prescription is not recommended; the dosage should be recommended by a neurologist. This will allow you to achieve the necessary therapeutic effect. Even if the patient feels well, it is impossible to abruptly stop taking the drug, otherwise withdrawal syndrome may develop.

When the attending physician discontinues sedatives for depression, he does so according to a scheme that allows him to first reduce the dosage and then reduce it to a minimum. Antidepressants are not as addictive as alcohol and tobacco smoke, but patients who refuse treatment are faced with unpleasant symptoms:

• unbearable body aches;
• indigestion;
• elevated temperature;
• weakness, malaise;
• pre-cold or fever;
• excessive excitability;
• attacks of dizziness;
• state of anxiety;
• nightmares, hallucinations.

Treatment with drugs of various groups should be carried out taking into account the clinical picture of the disease, the presence of chronic pathologies and the severity of depression. The main goal of drug therapy is to relieve the intensity of the symptoms of neurosis.

Neurotransmitters are biologically active chemical substances that transmit electrochemical impulses between neurons

Types of medications against neuroses

You can find out from your doctor which over-the-counter pills you should take for nervous system disorders. Pharmacological drugs, prescribed for depression, are classified into several categories:

1. Sedative medications. Suppress panic attacks, anxiety, fear. The drugs restore the emotional state and increase the effect of psychotherapy.
2. Antidepressants. Eliminate depressive syndrome, which can complicate the course of the disease and complicate its treatment. Drugs in this group strengthen the emotional state, promote rapid recovery nervous system.
3. Tranquilizers. They treat a complicated form of the disease that occurs against a background of systematic attacks and severe symptoms. Medicines eliminate anxiety and restore the patient’s psychological state.
4. Neuroleptics. Prescribed when complex therapy using antidepressants and tranquilizers is not effective.
5. Homeopathic medicines and vitamins. They do not have a special effect on the development of pathology, but have a positive effect on the psychological and physical state of a person suffering from neurosis.

All remedies for depression have their own characteristics and have different effects on the human body. The appropriateness of their use is determined by the psychotherapist, as well as the duration of therapy and dosage.

Treatment of neurosis with sedatives

Calming pills help achieve relaxation, reduce nervousness, suppress fear, anxiety, and panic attacks. Their task is to improve the patient’s psycho-emotional state and ensure the effectiveness of psychotherapy. Sedatives are divided into sedatives of plant origin, bromide, barbiturates, and magnesium salts.

Natural medicines are considered the most effective:

1. Valerian tincture and tablets.
2. Products based on passionflower incarnate.
3. Tincture of peony or motherwort.
4. "Valoserdin", "Novopassit".
5. "Sedariston", "Fitosed".

Barbiturates depress the excited nervous system central system, have anticonvulsant and hypnotic effects. The best drugs in this group: Phenobarbital, Hexobarbital, Barbamil.

Bromides are based on potassium or sodium salts, as well as hydrobromic acid. They have calming properties and activate neurological processes in the brain. Medicines are not intended for long-term use. The main means include: potassium or sodium bromide powder, the drug "Bromcamphor".

Sedatives will help you relax, suppress fear and anxiety

Treatment of neuroses with antidepressants

Diagnosed depression requires proper treatment with potent medications. Unlike simple sedatives, which have a short duration sedative effect, the goal of antidepressants is to completely neutralize the syndrome. The proper effect is achieved 7-14 days after the start of treatment.

IN medical practice apply:

• tricyclic drugs: Melipramine, Amitriptyline, Anafranil, Azafen, Opipramol. They have a good antidepressant effect. Positive result observed 1-2 weeks after the start of therapy. Restrictions for use - age 40 years and older, due to numerous side effects that have a negative effect on the blood vessels and heart;
• four-cyclic drugs: Tetrindol, Incazan, Pyrazidol. They have a less pronounced effect on the central nervous system, compared to antidepressants of the first group, but are safe for the body and have a limited number of undesirable effects. They can be taken by patients regardless of age;
• serotonin reverse synthesis inhibitors: Paxil, Fluoxetine. By therapeutic effects comparable to drugs of the tricyclic group, but have insignificant toxic effect. The required result from taking medications is achieved only 3 weeks after the start of therapy.

All drugs for depression have a stimulating or calming effect and are prescribed by a doctor taking into account the symptoms of neurosis. For patients suffering from excessive excitability, drugs that have a stimulating effect on the central nervous system (“Melipramine”), which are used for inhibited conditions, are contraindicated.

Melipramine is contraindicated in patients suffering from excessive excitability

Tranquilizers against depression

At the beginning of treatment, the patient may be bothered by attacks of dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, weakness, but as the body adapts, it begins to get used to active substance, side effects disappear.

Tranquilizers have numerous contraindications for use; you should consult a doctor before using them. It is unacceptable to exceed the recommended dosage in order to prevent unpleasant consequences.

List of the most popular tranquilizers:

1. Medicine "Phenazepam".
2. Librium product.
3. The drug "Nitrazepam".
4. Adaptol tablets.

Drugs in this group differ in their action and potency and are prescribed taking into account the individual characteristics of each patient. One of the most effective tranquilizers is Librium. For depressive neurosis and phobias, you can take Phenazepam; if you are worried about insomnia, you can take Nitrazepam.

Tranquilizers can cause attacks of dizziness, nausea and drowsiness

Treatment of mental disorders with antipsychotics

Powerful drugs against depression are used in complex therapy to treat various forms of the pathological syndrome. Medicines in this group are used if antidepressants and tranquilizers do not help required action. Potent medications for mental disorders include:

• medicine "Sonapax";
• drug "Aminazin";
• Melleril tablets;
• Thiodazine agent.

Neuroleptics have many prohibitions on use and side effects. It is necessary to use drugs of this group only on the recommendation of a doctor.

Vitamin therapy and homeopathy for neuroses

Treatment of depression with homeopathy requires a special approach to the choice of medications. Medicines in this group are prescribed if the following indications exist:

1. Hysteria: “Tarantula”, “Ignacia”, “Platinum”, “Asafetida”, “Pulsatilla”.
2. Signs of neurasthenia: “Indica Cannabis”, “Agaricus”, “Belladonna”, “Phosphorus”, “Stramonium”.
3. Hyposthenic neurosis: “Conium”, “Acidum picrinicum”, “Acidum phosphoricum”.
4. Obsessive states: “China”, “Silicea”, “Arsenicum album”.
5. Psychasthenia: “Causticum”, “Calcium carbonicum”, “Graphites”.

Vitamins for mental disorders play a key role in restoring the central nervous system. When you have depression, your brain needs nourishment. Best effect have beneficial substances of group B. Due to their lack in the body, vitamin deficiency may develop.

Vitamin therapy plays a key role in restoring the central nervous system

Vitamins such as glycine are also beneficial for the brain. ascorbic acid, cholecalciferol, tocopherol, rutin. Good nutrition (oranges, bananas, nuts, dairy products, greens, cabbage, buckwheat, rice) and special multivitamin complexes will help compensate for their deficiency.

For neuroses and depression, medications are prescribed that can reduce the intensity of the symptoms of the disease and prepare the nervous system for psychotherapy. Neurological manifestations should be removed at the first signs of pathology.

Prevention of stress and depression

Sometimes a disease is easier to prevent than to treat. If a person develops apathy or becomes irritable, measures should be taken as soon as possible to eliminate the unpleasant discomfort. The best remedy for depression is:

• do not withdraw into yourself and communicate more with family and friends;
• reduce physical and mental stress;
• draw up correct routine days with complete rest;
• You cannot blame yourself for failures; you must accept defeats with dignity;
• swimming, fitness, jogging in the morning will strengthen the body and lift your spirits.

Neurosis is an unpleasant pathological condition that can cause many problems and cause complications that are dangerous for a person. Only timely diagnosis and effective treatment will help get rid of neurological symptoms.

Medicine for depression and stress should be prescribed by a doctor after a conversation with the patient and a full examination. In the presence of chronic diseases, it is necessary to take into account the effect of antidepressants on their course.

Episodic attacks of fear, anxiety, uncertainty, nervous breakdowns meet in the life of almost every person. They are caused by daily stress, from which no one is immune. However, the nervous system often suffers serious disruptions. The state of anxiety takes root firmly in the mind and becomes a constant companion of life. In such a case, you cannot do without the help of anti-anxiety drugs. This large group of psychotropic drugs has been used for a very long time, but not everyone knows how anti-anxiety drugs work and when they should be taken.

What is anxiety and how does it manifest itself?

The state of anxiety is not just a state when a person is worried. With anxiety, many biochemical processes in his body, and above all, in the brain, change.

The source of anxiety is usually stress - the reaction of the nervous system to a difficult or conflict situation, external stimuli. If the stress is mild and short-term, then it can even be useful for the body, as a kind of shake-up. However, severe and repeated stress is definitely harmful.

With anxiety, a number of somatic symptoms are observed:

• cardiopalmus,
• rush of blood to the head,
• hyperventilation or shallow breathing,
• shiver,
• sweating,
• nausea,
• diarrhea,
• frequent urge to urinate.

In addition to anxiety, stress leads to irritability, mental imbalance, decreased performance, and depression.

You can try to deal with anxiety and stress on your own. To do this, you need to bring more positive emotions into your life. They can be obtained from playing sports, communicating with people, and hobbies. But these remedies do not help everyone. In addition, stress can also arise due to objective factors, for example, when serious illnesses. In such cases, there is nothing left to do but resort to the help of medications.

This method is no worse or better than others. There is often an opinion that only older people need sedatives and anti-anxiety drugs, and if an adult takes them, then he is either weak-willed or a drug addict. But this opinion only indicates medical illiteracy. The functioning of the nervous system is regulated not by abstract willpower, but by hormones and neurotransmitters, and in some cases, biochemical disorders cannot be corrected except through medication. If a person takes sedatives or anti-anxiety medications, then he is by no means a drug addict, and cannot become one. In that case, of course, if he complies with the doctor’s instructions and the instructions for the remedy he prescribed.

Behavior correction is often necessary for children and adolescents whose nervous system is very vulnerable and does not have the necessary stability. Very often, therapy is required for such nervous disorders in children as hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, neuroses, and rheumochorea. Women may also be susceptible to nervous system disorders due to hormonal imbalances. This especially often manifests itself in the form of premenstrual syndrome. At the same time, women may experience nervous breakdowns and unmotivated outbursts of aggression.

Of course, you shouldn't rely too much on pills. Treatment of anxiety conditions should be comprehensive and also include lifestyle changes and psychotherapeutic methods.

How do anti-anxiety medications work?

Human emotions, including such as anxiety and fear, are controlled by different parts of the brain. But the most important among them is the limbic system - a complex of parts of the brain that includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala and hippocampus.

Anxiety and fear are among the negative emotions. Therefore, in order to suppress them, it is necessary to weaken the influence of the limbic system on the human psyche.

This effect on the limbic system is carried out by anti-anxiety medications (tranquilizers). They also have other effects:

• sedative,
• muscle relaxant (relaxes muscles),
• anticonvulsant,
• hypnotic.

The anti-anxiety (anxiolytic) effect of drugs in this group is explained by the effect on benzodiazepine receptors of brain cells, and through them on GABA receptors that inhibit the nervous system.

The muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant effects are explained by the fact that tranquilizers also act on cells spinal cord and inhibit some spinal reflexes.

The depressant effect on the limbic system means that anxiolytics suppress not only negative emotions - fear, anger, anxiety, but also most positive ones. The effects of anti-anxiety medications bring a person into a state of calm and serenity. At the same time, tranquilizers do not affect the cognitive sphere of brain activity and do not affect memory. However, the speed of reactions and attentiveness usually decreases.

Some anxiolytics also have a mild analgesic effect, antiemetic effect, and relieve skin itching.

Anti-anxiety and sedative medications have a normalizing effect on the autonomic nervous system. Thanks to this property, they often help reduce tachycardia, get rid of tremors in the hands, increased sweating, diarrhea and flatulence.

Most tranquilizers come in tablet form. However, tranquilizers can also be used parenterally.

History of anti-anxiety drugs

Another name for anti-anxiety medications is anxiolytics. This word in Latin means literally “relieving anxiety.” Another term often used for anti-anxiety medications is “tranquilizers.” The word tranquilizer comes from the Latin "tranquillo", which means "calm".

The first tranquilizers were substances of the benzodiazepine class, synthesized in the mid-50s. First, drugs such as chlordiazepoxide and diazepam appeared. New class drugs quickly gained recognition among doctors - psychotherapists, psychiatrists and neurologists, since benzodiazepines had a powerful anxiolytic and sedative effect. Now the lists of tranquilizers have been replenished with the names of many new compounds. And although many anti-anxiety drugs that do not belong to the class of benzodiazepines have been created, the latter still retain their importance.

Side effects of anti-anxiety drugs

Nothing is perfect in this world, and tranquilizers are no exception. Soon after benzodiazepines were introduced, some of their disadvantages were discovered. Firstly, there are a number of inherent side effects. For the most part, these are effects that are not life-threatening, but seriously reduce a person’s ability to work. First of all, this is excessive sedation, increased drowsiness and lethargy, decreased reaction speed. This leads to the fact that the use of benzodiazepines is contraindicated for those who drive vehicles, complex machines and mechanisms, and people engaged in work that requires concentration and high reaction speed.

Other possible side effects of benzodiazepines:

• confusion (especially in older people),
• depression,
• dry mouth,
• slurred speech
• development of hallucinatory psychoses.

Older patients are most sensitive to the side effects of benzodiazepines.

Another important disadvantage of tranquilizers is their rapid addiction. This means that over time the dose must be increased, otherwise the therapeutic effect will not be achieved. In addition, many tranquilizers can lead to drug dependence. Approximately half of patients taking benzodiazepines continuously for 4-6 months develop drug dependence. Dependence on benzodiazepines most easily develops in patients suffering from alcohol and drug addiction, in people suffering from psychopathy and prone to the formation of psychological dependence.

When long-term therapy with benzodiazepines is stopped, withdrawal syndrome often develops. It can be expressed in the following symptoms:

• agitation,
• insomnia,
• moodiness,
• irritability,
• sweating,
• shiver,
• nausea,
• convulsions (in severe cases).

Therefore, benzodiazepine therapy should not be stopped abruptly when it comes to long-term therapy. The dose of the drug is reduced gradually. If therapy lasted no more than 2 weeks, then its cancellation does not entail any consequences.

All these factors have led to the fact that, according to WHO recommendations, benzodiazepine tranquilizers are not recommended for continuous use for a long time (more than 2-3 weeks). If there is a need for longer use, then the course of treatment should be interrupted for several days.

This does not apply to the light and daytime tranquilizer groups. As prescribed by a doctor, they can be taken continuously for several weeks, or even months.

If the patient has a history of dependence on benzodiazepines, it is recommended to prescribe antidepressants instead.

However, antidepressants and mild tranquilizers do not have an immediate response, unlike benzodiazepines. The therapeutic effect when using light tranquilizers and antidepressants develops over at least 2 weeks. Also, antidepressants of the SSRI and TCA groups can cause increased symptoms of anxiety at the very beginning of use.

Atypical tranquilizers

There are tranquilizers that are not similar in chemical structure to benzodiazepines, and also differ favorably from them in that they do not have severe side effects and have a completely different mechanism of action.

One such substance is hydroxyzine. This is a rather old drug, a derivative of diphenylmethane, created back in the 50s, and therefore it cannot be classified as a new generation of anti-anxiety drugs. Compared to benzodiazepines, the drug does not cause addiction or dependence.

Another interesting drug is buspirone. The drug differs from other tranquilizers in that it acts not on benzodiazepine or GABA receptors, but on serotonin receptors. This drug is also not addictive or dependent. But it also does not lead to drowsiness, lethargy and lethargy.

Meprobamate is also a tranquilizer with an atypical mechanism of action. The drug is also not a benzodiazepine. According to the chemical structure, meprobamate is a derivative of propanediol. Meprobomate is one of the very first compounds to be used as a tranquilizer.

Can anti-anxiety medications be sold without a prescription?

Anxiolytics are not sold in pharmacies without a prescription. The only exception is Afobazole, which belongs to the group of mild tranquilizers. Almost all tranquilizers fall into the category psychoactive substances. Therefore, according to the law, they must be dispensed by prescription. Over-the-counter sedatives may be a definite substitute for prescription anti-anxiety medications:

• Corvalol;
• Validol;
• herbal preparations and dietary supplements based on motherwort, St. John's wort, valerian and other medicinal plants;
• vitamin complexes containing zinc and magnesium.

Particular attention should be paid to herbal medicines:

• Persen,
• Novo-Passit,
• Motherwort-Forte,
• Deprim.

Most of them, when used regularly, can help with anxiety states mild degree heaviness, mild stress.

New generations of anti-anxiety drugs and daytime tranquilizers

Recently, successful attempts have been made to develop new anxiolytics that do not belong to the class of benzodiazepines. The properties of some old compounds are also being re-examined. This is due to the fact that many doctors are not satisfied with the shortcomings of traditional tranquilizers, which make them unsuitable for constant use. The result of the researchers' activities was the emergence of a group of so-called daytime tranquilizers. This name is not accidental. Most of the drugs on the list of daytime anxiolytics do not cause daytime lethargy and drowsiness in patients and do not lead to a slowdown in reactions. This means that daytime tranquilizers can be used to treat people leading an active lifestyle, those who drive a car. Daytime tranquilizers also do not cause drug dependence or addiction in the patient.

Main names of daytime tranquilizers:

• tofisopam (Grandaxin),
• alprazolam,
• tazepam,
• buspirone,

How tranquilizers are selected

There are many factors at play here. Firstly, this is the patient’s complex of symptoms, his diagnosis, and the severity of the disease. A lot depends on the properties of the medication itself. First of all, doctors pay attention to the onset of action and half-life. If the drug begins to act quickly and has a short half-life, then it is well suited for sedation and as a hypnotic. Also, benzodiazepines with a rapid onset of action are more suitable for the relief of episodic panic attacks. For the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder, benzodiazepines with a long half-life are more suitable. Other advantages of benzodiazepines with a long half-life are the ease of dose adjustment, as well as the ease of discontinuation of the medication after long-term treatment.

Pharmacokinetic parameters of some benzodiazepines

Other groups of psychotropic drugs

Not only anxiolytics belong to the class of psychotropic drugs. Other types of drugs also affect the nervous system:

• sedatives,
• neuroleptics,
• mood stabilizers,
• antidepressants,
• sleeping pills.

Many of these medications can also relieve anxiety, stress, and fear.

Sedative medications

Sedative medications most often include medications based on plant extracts:

• menthol,
• valerian,
• passionflower,
• St. John's wort,
• motherwort,
• lemon balm,
• hops

Extracts from this list have long been used in folk medicine as sedatives.

Some synthetic substances, such as phenobarbital, are also considered effective sedative medications. There are also some antihistamines with a pronounced sedative effect, for example, Diphenhydramine.

The difference between sedative medications and tranquilizers is largely arbitrary. However, as a rule, sedative medications are available without a prescription, but purchasing anxiolytics requires a doctor’s permission.

The most popular sedatives:

• valerian extract,
• motherwort extract,
• Corvalol (Valocordin),
• Validol,
• Novo-passit,
• Persen.

Other herbal preparations are also used as sedatives. They are usually easier to tolerate by the body and do not overload the liver and kidneys. However, one must be careful here, since many herbal remedies can cause an allergic reaction.

Sleeping pills

Sleeping pills are not usually used to relieve anxiety and stress. They are intended for the treatment of sleep disorders. However, often bad is one of the factors leading to the occurrence neurotic disorders. Therefore, as part of the complex treatment of anxiety conditions, sleeping pills can be used.

Synthetic hypnotics used to treat sleep disorders include:

• Zopiclone,
• Donormil,
• Diphenhydramine,
• Trittico.

Many tranquilizers, such as phenozepam, also have a strong hypnotic effect.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants are often confused with tranquilizers. However, antidepressants have a completely different mechanism of action. They affect the concentration of important neurotransmitters in the nerve circuits, such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. However, many antidepressants can also be used to treat anxiety disorders and stress. However, very often doctors prescribe two medications at once - a classic tranquilizer and an antidepressant. The fact is that the effect of antidepressants develops slowly over several weeks. These medications are more suitable for treating chronic anxiety disorders than benzodiazepine-type tranquilizers. This is due to the fact that antidepressants do not cause dependence and addiction when taken for a long time, unlike tranquilizers. However, they are not without withdrawal syndrome, so a long course of treatment with antidepressants should be interrupted gradually, by gradually reducing the dose.

Neuroleptics

Antipsychotic medications are not used to treat anxiety disorders. Their purpose is to relieve symptoms caused by acute psychoses– delusions and hallucinations. Antipsychotics are often used in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, antipsychotics also used to be called tranquilizers, or more accurately, major tranquilizers. But in relation to anxiolytics, the term minor tranquilizers was used. However, now this division of psychotropic substances into small and large tranquilizers is outdated.

Normotimics

Normotimics are a group of compounds that are often used for bipolar disorders. Their purpose is to smooth out mood swings typical of bipolar affective disorders. They can also be used in the treatment of depression. Normotimics prevent the appearance of extreme euphoria, as well as depression, despondency, and apathy.

Nootropics

Nootropics enhance metabolism in brain cells and improve cerebral circulation. In this way they strengthen brain activity, increase memory, normalize thinking. Many nootropics can also be prescribed for stress, anxiety disorders. And some medications combine the properties of an anxiolytic and a nootropic, for example, Phenibut.

Vitamins and microelements

Vitamins and active biological substances can also be prescribed by neurologists, but as part of complex treatment. Vitamins D, B12, magnesium, and zinc are useful for strengthening the nervous system. If the body lacks such complex compounds involved in the functioning of brain cells, like tryptophan, dietary supplements containing them are prescribed.

Beta blockers

Beta blockers do not directly affect the nervous system. However, they are also often used for anxiety disorders. Beta blockers prevent the effects of adrenaline on the body and relieve many of the symptoms characteristic of anxiety: increased heart rate, increased sweating.

Indications for anti-anxiety medications

First of all, they are intended to rid a person of negative emotions - anxiety, fear, restlessness, and to reduce emotional tension. Tranquilizers also help reduce obsessive thoughts and hypochondria.

They are prescribed mainly for pathologies of the nervous system:

• anxiety disorders (all types),
• short-term episodes of anxiety,
• anxiety and depression,
• neuroses,
• neurosis-like conditions,
• aggression,
• fears,
• stress,
• nervous tension,
• phobias,
• mild nervous excitability,
• post-traumatic stress disorder.

Anxiolytics are also used for psychotic disorders, psychoses, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Anti-anxiety and sedative medications with a pronounced antihistamine effect (Atarax, Diphenhydramine) are used for allergic reactions and skin itching.

In children, tranquilizers are used for neuroses, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, enuresis, nightmares, stuttering, and rheumochorea.

Anxiolytics are also used as part of the treatment of withdrawal syndrome in alcoholism and substance abuse, in menopause and premenstrual syndromes, syndrome chronic fatigue, migraines.

The hypnotic properties of anxiolytics allow them to be prescribed for the treatment of sleep disorders. For these disorders, tranquilizers help lengthen night sleep, make it deeper, allowing the brain to fully rest. The most powerful hypnotic properties are manifested in such tranquilizers as nitrazepam, flunitrazepam, midazolam. The muscle relaxant properties of tranquilizers are used for convulsions and spasms, tetanus, cerebral palsy, excessive muscle tension, motor excitation. Tranquilizers are also characterized by a decrease in epileptogenic brain activity.

The vegetative stabilizing function of tranquilizers is also distinguished. It is expressed in the normalization of the activity of the autonomic nervous system. The vegetative stabilizing activity of tranquilizers leads to a decrease in vegetative symptoms of anxiety (tachycardia, hypertension, sweating). Almost all tranquilizers also have a sympatholytic and mild hypotensive effect and increase the threshold of pain sensitivity.

Anxiolytics are also used for premedication (preparing the patient for operations), as a component of complex anesthesia, to eliminate stress in severe somatic diseases, psychosomatic diseases(stomach ulcer), as part of the complex treatment of cardiovascular diseases, for pain syndrome.

When tranquilizers are ineffective

Tranquilizers are not effective for delusional, hallucinatory and affective disorders, which can also often be accompanied by fear and anxiety. However, when using antipsychotics, tranquilizers may also be prescribed to prevent their side effects.

Contraindications

Tranquilizers include many drugs with different mechanisms of action. Therefore, contraindications will be individual for each compound. But, as a rule, tranquilizers should not be taken for myasthenia gravis (muscle weakness), respiratory depression, severe liver failure, glaucoma, and suicidal tendencies.

Many medications should not be taken during pregnancy, lactation, or childhood. However, the opinion that any anxiolytics are contraindicated in children is completely unfounded. This is far from true. A number of medications really cannot be used in childhood. However, there are also medications that can be prescribed to children starting from a certain age. In this case, naturally, a lower dosage is used than in adults. Therefore, if a doctor has prescribed a course of tranquilizers for your child, this is not yet a reason to panic. Tranquilizers themselves, in the required dose, do not affect the development of a child’s brain or reduce his intelligence, unlike many diseases of the nervous system, to which children are no less susceptible than adults.

Interaction of tranquilizers with other substances

Tranquilizers enhance the effect of many psychotropic substances. These include antipsychotics, sleeping pills and sedatives, antidepressants, histamine receptor blockers. Tranquilizers also enhance the effect of many antihypertensive drugs.

Tranquilizers are incompatible with alpha and beta adrenergic agonists, M-cholinomimetics, and psychostimulants. Tranquilizers enhance the inhibitory effect of beta blockers on the central nervous system.

Many tranquilizers are incompatible with alcohol, since when they are taken, the inhibitory effect of alcohol on the nervous system increases. This may lead to severe consequences, including respiratory depression and loss of consciousness.

Phenazepam

Anxiolytic of the benzodiazepine class, developed in the Soviet Union. In addition to anxiolytic, it also has muscle relaxant, hypnotic and anticonvulsant effects. The anxiolytic effect is predominant. Available in tablets in dosages of 0.5 and 1 mg. Has a high speed of action. Indicated for emotional lability, fears, anxiety, irritability, emotional overstrain. Contraindicated in children.

Afobazole

Light or daytime tranquilizer. These sedative tablets are recommended for continuous use over several months. Afobazole is the only anxiolytic that can be purchased at Russian pharmacies over the counter. Recommended for mild anxiety conditions and treatment of menopausal syndrome. Afobazole has virtually no side effects, it has no sedative effect, it does not cause drowsiness and can be used by patients driving vehicles. Dosage – 1 tablet 3 times a day.

Corvalol

Despite its reputation as a heart medicine, Corvalol is primarily a sedative. The sedative effect is provided by the phenobarbital contained in Corvalol. The drug also has a mild vasodilator and hypnotic effect. Available in the form of a solution or tablets. One of the few synthetic sedatives that can be purchased in pharmacies without a prescription. Corvalol is also popular due to its affordable price. Doctors, however, warn against the constant use of Corvalol to treat anxiety, because phenobarbital has many side effects and causes drug dependence. Corvalol can only be used as a one-time sedative in situations involving severe stress or anxiety.

Novo-Passit

Blend-based product medicinal herbs(valerian, St. John's wort, lemon balm, hops, passionflower, elderberry, hawthorn). It has a sedative and hypnotic effect and helps increase resistance to stress. Used to treat lungs nervous disorders, neurasthenia, fatigue, mild insomnia, migraine, vegetative-vascular dystonia, dermatoses. You need to take 3 tablets for 2 weeks. Contraindications – age under 12 years, epilepsy, myasthenia gravis.

Persen has a composition similar to Novo-Passit. True, it contains less herbal ingredients, however, the indications for use of both drugs are similar.

Atarax

The active ingredient is hydroxyzine, which is a non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic. Available in 25 mg tablets. It has moderate anti-anxiety, antipruritic, sedative, antiemetic, and antihistamine effects. The usual dosage is 25 mg per day at night, the maximum daily dosage is 100 mg. The product is used for anxiety, sleep disorders, itchy skin, and for premedication. The drug can be used in children from 3 years of age. Does not cause addiction or dependence.

Tofisopam

The product is also produced under the brand name Grandaxin. These psychotropic tablets are classified as mild/daytime tranquilizers. The drug is not addictive or dependent. Has a slight anti-anxiety effect. Improves mood, increases performance. Dosage – 50-100 mg 1-3 times a day.

Phenibut

The product combines the properties of an anxiolytic and nootropic. Indications:

• anxiety states,
• neurasthenia,
• insomnia,
• anxiety,
• fear,
• mild depression,
• dizziness.

The minimum course of treatment with the drug is 2 weeks. Dosage – 3 times a day, 0.5 g.

Life situations often lead to a state where the nerves are tense, it seems they are about to break down, but chamomile tea and the phrase “pull yourself together” no longer helps. Stressful situations you need to survive, conflicts are resolved, and problems are solved, but to do this you must first calm down. At such a moment, medication support may well be required. You shouldn't grab the first bottle you come across. Which sedatives used for various states and how are they different?

Herbs or “chemistry”?

Anxiety, suspiciousness, uncontrollable emotional outbursts, nervous tension, insomnia itself prevents you from living a full life and does not allow you to calmly deal with problems. If such symptoms remain unattended for a long time, and the traumatic factor continues to “get on the nerves,” the picture may worsen, develop into neurosis, or cause depressive states of varying severity.

Folk herbal remedies, proven over generations, are successfully used modern medicine to help with anxiety and stress. Valerian, motherwort, chamomile, and mint gently soothe, are non-toxic, and have almost no contraindications. They are part of mild sedatives that are freely sold in pharmacies.

St. John's wort, evasive peony, and wormwood exhibit stronger properties. Their effect is comparable to synthetic antidepressants, but dosages must be observed more carefully. The plants are poisonous; in case of overdose or unreasonably prolonged use, they cause a sharp exacerbation of symptoms and toxic poisoning.

Natural ingredients have fewer side effects than synthetic ones, but they should not be forgotten. Here are some:

• peony lowers blood pressure and is contraindicated for hypotensive patients;
• St. John's wort constricts blood vessels and is not used for hypertension;
• wormwood at long-term treatment or exceeding the dose causes convulsions and hallucinations.

In addition, the listed drugs are contraindicated during pregnancy and can cause spontaneous abortion at any stage. Any diseases gastrointestinal tract require careful attention to the selection of herbs.

Be careful! Any sedatives, including herbal ones, with the wrong dosage or long-term treatment can return symptoms and even intensify them. In the treatment of any anxious, nervous conditions using methods traditional medicine You should consult your doctor.

In situations where help is needed immediately, folk remedies won't help. Their action is too mild and delayed; long-term use is required (from 20 to 30 days) to achieve the effect. For urgent relief of panic attacks, anxiety, and stress, stronger combined or synthetic drugs are used.

Sedative pharmaceutical drugs

Sedatives are made from herbal or synthetic components and are used to treat neurasthenia, uncomplicated depression, and minor sleep disorders. Their task is to ease emotional tension, allowing the psyche to recover from overwork, increased rhythm of life or stress.

Herbal remedies

Such medications do not have a hypnotic effect, but due to their calming effect on the central nervous system, they make it easier to fall asleep and sleep becomes deeper.

Preparations of valerian, mint, motherwort, St. John's wort are available in various forms; these are inexpensive natural sedatives that are not addictive. The most popular means for mild nervous disorders:

1. Valerian, motherwort. Available in the form of dried crushed raw materials, teas, mixtures, tinctures, capsules, tablets.
2. Peony tincture. Relieves symptoms of obsessive states, fears, relieves convulsive syndrome.
3. Persen. A combination of mint, lemon balm and valerian extracts in the form of tablets and capsules.
4. Novo-passit. Combined herbal preparation with the addition of guaifenesin (a mild tranquilizer).

When several substances with a sedative effect are combined, their effect is enhanced many times over, which is why combined drugs are especially effective. This should be taken into account when simultaneous administration with other sedatives or sleeping pills.

Combination drugs

Popular sedatives in drops and tablets based on ethanol with phenobarbital with the addition essential oils. These are cheap, traditionally used to correct conditions in elderly people with weakened cardiovascular system drugs:

• Corvalol;
• Valocordin;
• Barboval.

It is important to know! Despite their popularity, medications are considered outdated, addictive, and have many contraindications and side effects. Undesirable consequence with long-term use there is a need to increase the dose, which often leads to overdose and poisoning with bromine preparations included in the composition.

Bromides and barbiturates

Bromine preparations are used in the form of sodium and potassium salts. They have an inhibitory effect on the brain and help with insomnia, hypertension in the initial stages, increased irritability, and neuroses with overexcitation.

Long-term use is not prescribed due to the ability of bromine to accumulate in the body and the danger of poisoning.

Barbiturates (which cause a hypnotic effect) are often used in small doses as emergency sedatives. Their long-term use in this capacity is not recommended.

Antidepressants that affect the levels of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine are used as sedatives for depression. Their main goal is to improve mood, raise tone, improve sleep and appetite, reduce anxiety, and overcome apathy in moderate and severe depression. The same drugs for neuroses with obsessive states, phobias, and pain of nervous origin also give positive results.

The following antidepressants are most often used to treat neurosis and depression:

• Prozac;
• Amizol;
• Cipralex;
• Dopamine;
• Zolox.

Drugs in this group are prescribed only by a doctor. There is a huge range of antidepressants with different actions: calming, stimulating or mixed. Selecting a medication that can relieve symptoms different types depression, strictly individual. Treatment of neurasthenia with depletion of the nervous system may require the use of antidepressants, and with anxiety and phobias - tranquilizers.

Incorrectly used medication can worsen the condition. In some cases, it is necessary to change the medicine several times due to an individual reaction to the active substance.

Note! Antidepressants cause psychological and physical dependence, so their use should be under the supervision of a doctor. In pharmacies, drugs are dispensed strictly according to prescription.

Relatively harmless natural antidepressants include the following preparations based on St. John's wort:

• Negrustin is a drug with a mild accumulative effect. Effective for neuroses, mild and moderate depression.
• Herbion Hypericum. The herbal medicine is prescribed for mild depressive states of various origins, panic attacks, and sleep disorders.
• Deprim. Allows you to correct the condition even with depression with suicidal tendencies. It is acceptable to use in therapy for children over 6 years of age under medical supervision.

TO sedatives for depression, herbal remedies are not addictive, but they should be taken with caution. For example, severe forms of depression are a contraindication to taking St. John's wort. You should contact a psychotherapist or psychiatrist for advice and selection of medications.

For a person who does not suffer from depression, most antidepressants are useless; they do not improve the usual bad mood.

Tranquilizers

If antidepressants increase activity, tranquilizers, on the contrary, dampen it. Therefore, by competently taking such drugs together, they achieve equalization of the emotional state. Tranquilizers - medications, effective in relieving anxiety, both long-term and short-term. They prevent overexcitation and help the nervous system to relax.

Afobazole is a modern tranquilizer that is not addictive and has no serious side effects. It stops attacks well, removes physical manifestations of fear and panic: trembling, increased sweating, dizziness, intestinal cramps, lump in throat and others. Except sedative effect, increases the functionality of the brain, is used in addiction medicine.

Adaptol is a light daytime tranquilizer, its use is not accompanied by inhibition of mental activity, thought processes normalize, nervous tension and feelings of fear go away. Used for neurosis-like conditions, vegetative-vascular dystonia, neutralizes intoxication from taking antipsychotics, other tranquilizers, antidepressants in complex therapy. Soft action, similar to an antidepressant, applicable for depression varying degrees, but cannot cope with panic attacks. In such cases, additional medications are prescribed.

Not all tranquilizers are so harmless; most of the strong ones can cause addiction and dependence. Medicines from this group are contraindicated in children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women.

The regimen for taking tranquilizers is developed individually and involves a gradual increase in dose at the beginning of the course with a gradual decrease at the end. Use for longer than 3 weeks is possible only intermittently and under the constant supervision of a specialist to exclude withdrawal syndrome.

A group of drugs that stimulate brain function is effective for asthenic syndrome: constant fatigue, memory loss, and decreased adaptive properties of the body. This condition often accompanies depression or neurosis. Nootropics improve microcirculation in brain tissue, restore coherence of thinking and the ability to absorb information.

Most often used:

• Tenoten. A popular sedative for stress, nervousness, and excessive tension. Helps cope with increased emotional stress without causing drowsiness or lethargy. It is classified as a nootropic and has the effect of a mild tranquilizer. Improves sleep, memory, learning ability, reduces anxiety, irritability.
• Glycine. Prescribed as an adjuvant in the treatment of neuroses, neurasthenia, and depressive disorders. It not only calms, but also increases performance, normalizes sleep, and improves mood. Glycine enhances the effect of antidepressants, therefore it is used in the complex treatment of depression and neuroses only as prescribed by a doctor.
• Phenibut. In addition to nootropic properties, it has an anticonvulsant effect, reduces anxiety and fear, regulates sleep, and relieves nightmares. Suitable for children in the treatment of stuttering and enuresis. Well tolerated in old age. After use, there is no lethargy and relaxation, the functions of the vestibular apparatus improve.

The ability of nootropics to strengthen the nervous system and improve brain function is used in the correction of nervous disorders at any age. Basically, the drugs do not have an immediate sedative effect and require a long course of treatment.

Baby sedatives

The use of sedatives for children is not an exceptional phenomenon today. Children grow up faster, come under information pressure earlier, and are just as susceptible to stress and depression as adults. Hyperactivity, tearfulness, moodiness, or lethargy and apathy in a child require the attention of a specialist for timely correction.

During therapy emotional disorders, behavioral disorders in children, medications based on sedative herbs and herbs are used in doses reduced according to age. Herbal preparations up to 1 year are used in the form of tea, syrup.

Ready-made herbal teas for children, which can be bought at the pharmacy:

• Phytosedan;
• Calm down;
• Children's sedative;
• Bye-bye;

Daily baths with herbal infusions give a good calming result. When preparing infusions of mint, lavender, valerian, and motherwort for infants yourself, you should use one herb. Multi-ingredient teas and baths are recommended for children after one year.

Good to know! Herbal remedies affect children differently. Calming teas should be selected with caution. Individual reactions to components may be the opposite of what was expected. Frequent reactions to sedatives at an early age are gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhea, allergies.

With severe symptoms in at different ages The doctor may prescribe medication:

• Glycine;
• Phenibut;
• Pantogam;
• Tenoten.

Medicines carefully selected according to indications (most often nootropics) are used to correct hyperactivity, delayed development, and hysteria in children over 3 years of age.

IN adolescence and for children over 6 years old, sedatives are used to improve adaptation in children's groups, normalize mood, and relieve anxiety. These can be both herbal remedies and nootropics. For special indications, tranquilizers can be used strictly under the supervision of a doctor: Sibazon, Phenazepam, Elenium.

It is unacceptable to prescribe sedatives to children on their own, without examination by a specialist. Neurosis and anxiety in children can have different causes, and appropriate treatment is selected for each case.

It should be remembered that drug treatment of nervous disorders at any age gives only temporary results.

It is possible to completely cure neurosis or get rid of depression only by eliminating the cause of its occurrence. In the presence of an irritating factor, with constant stress or repetition of a traumatic situation, the disease will return.

Taking strong sedatives, purchased without prescriptions, or chosen independently, can greatly harm your mental and physical health. The purpose of sedatives is only to support the nervous system. This makes it possible to calmly solve accumulated problems and carry out adequate comprehensive treatment if necessary.

IN modern world There are many reasons for stress, but not all people succumb to it - it all depends on the stability of the nervous system. Sometimes this situation looks deceptive: suddenly a person with strong nerves and iron health falls ill with serious illnesses. mental disorders which are difficult to cure. It often happens the other way: a person worries about any trifle and takes sedatives for neuroses, supposedly for prevention. Both positions are wrong: you cannot be indifferent to your nervous system, but you should not use medications uncontrollably. Drug treatment should be carried out under the competent guidance of a doctor.

Concept and features of neuroses

Neurosis is understood as a disruption of the normal functioning of the nervous system, which is characterized by a number of symptoms:

• repetition of the same rituals and actions;
• obsessive thoughts;
• various phobias;
• panic attacks;
• irritability;
• excessive fatigue;
• decreased concentration;
• constant anxiety;
• insomnia;
• sudden changes in mood;
• severe reaction to noises or smells.

Not everyone experiences neuroses. They are susceptible to those who have been in a state of stress, depression, traumatic situations for a long time, or endure heavy physical exertion. Also at risk are those who cannot control their emotions and are highly susceptible to the influence of other people. They occur in adults and children, in those employed in hard work and in the unemployed.

Often, but not always and not for everyone, neuroses are accompanied by symptoms of damage to various systems and organs.

1. Headache often indicates vegetative-vascular dystonia.
2. Arrhythmia, tachycardia.
3. Blood pressure problems.
4. Problems in the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
5. Malfunctions of the digestive system.

These symptoms may occur later as the neurosis progresses. In each specific case, the situation must be assessed individually. It is better to have a doctor do this. It is advisable to conduct a full examination of the body to exclude other diseases or exacerbation of chronic ones. Without proper treatment, neuroses can become permanent or develop into serious mental disorders.

Treatment of neurotic disorders

Any treatment must be preceded by a thorough diagnosis, and neurotic conditions are no exception. The patient should take a blood test, do an ECG, visit a therapist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, neurologist and psychiatrist.

A psychiatrist or psychotherapist must draw up a treatment plan and choose the most appropriate technique:

• conviction - it is necessary to change the patient’s negative attitude towards the surrounding reality with the help of compelling arguments;
• suggestion - to influence the patient’s consciousness through hypnosis or through the use of special drugs;
• self-hypnosis - teach the patient techniques that allow him not to react to unpleasant situations from the outside.

Along with psychotherapy, neurosis is treated with medication. Frequently taking medications the only way treatment. The patient needs to know several rules:

• You may need a lot of medications, you shouldn’t be afraid;
• To complete the picture, the patient must be absolutely frank with the doctor, talking about his feelings, in order to find out in time possible contraindications;
• need to get ready for the long haul drug therapy, which can last for a year.

Medicines used for neuroses

Various drugs are used to treat neurosis; they can be combined into several groups:

• tranquilizers;
• antidepressants;
• nootropic drugs;
• neuroleptics;
• sedatives.

Each of these types has its own side effects, so you should take them after consulting your doctor.

Tranquilizers

The most by strong means for neurosis are tranquilizers. They are used when the process has gone far and severe attacks are observed. Tranquilizers relieve acute anxiety, neutralize fear, help resist panic attacks, and overcome depression. They give you the opportunity to relax, immerse yourself in restful sleep. The components of the tablets have a suppressive effect on the parts of the brain responsible for the emotional sphere. Tranquilizers are contraindicated for children, pregnant and lactating women.

Popular tranquilizers are:

• Phenazepam;
• Bromazepam;
• Diazepam;
• Nitrazepam;
• Afobazole;
• Atarax;
• Triazolam;
• Mebutamate.

Tranquilizers come not only in the form of tablets, but also in the form of injections. The most common drug is Sibazon, the dose of which must be carefully calculated by the doctor. Amizil injections are also often used, but it has a number of contraindications.

Antidepressants

Nowadays, many ordinary people do not disdain antidepressants for neuroses, without finding out whether they are suitable for them or not. Their general effect is the fight against depression and obsessive thoughts, stimulation of the nervous system, improvement of the psycho-emotional state, elimination of vegetative manifestations. As general lack Antidepressants can be considered addictive when taken for a long time.

Although antidepressants are the best remedy for neuroses, you need to consider individual characteristics person and each drug.

Among the known antidepressants:

• Amitriptyline - at first it can make you sleepy, because it has a sedative effect, but then the anxiety goes away, it should be taken with caution by people with eye problems and men with prostatitis;
• Imizin is an effective medicine, but requires careful use if the patient has diseased kidneys or cardiovascular disorders;
• Fluoxetine;
• Fevarin;
• Azafen;
• Rexetine.

Nootropic drugs

Neurosis is often treated with nootropic drugs. They come when observed initial stage neurosis. Their positive action on the brain and psyche is obvious:

• the susceptibility to irritating factors from the outside world decreases;
• intellectual activity improves due to oxygen saturation of the brain;
• memory is normalized;
• concentration of attention increases;
• apathy goes away.

Nootropics are useful, but there are a number of contraindications for patients with renal and liver failure, and malignant tumors.

The most famous nootropics:

• Actovegin, used by injection;
• Piracetam;
• Phezam;
• Pantogan;
• Phenibut.

Neuroleptics

Corrects the general condition of the body in case of neuroleptic neurosis. They relieve tension, relieve the effects of stress, and remove anxiety. Their effect is similar to the medicines of the past, which contained caffeine and bromine. Antipsychotics have minimal side effects, so they can be used instead of tranquilizers if the patient's condition is satisfactory.

Antipsychotics are mainly available in tablet form:

• Aminazine;
• Clozapine;
• Sonapax;
• Melleril.

Sedatives

Sedatives do not always have a direct therapeutic effect, but they are one of the most preferred drugs for neurosis. The main effect is sedative. They can also relieve anxiety, panic attacks, and negative emotions. Sedatives of both chemical and herbal origin are used.

There is a group of barbiturates that have a sedative effect on the nerves and inhibit the central nervous system. This group includes medications - Barbamil, Phenobrabital. This also includes the well-known Glycine. Among herbal sedatives:

• Novopassit;
• Valerian extract and tablets;
• Motherwort;
• Passionflower;
• Phytosed.