In the spring of 2001 the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Paxil for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Paxil (paroxetine) is an antidepressant medication in the same class as Prozac and Zoloft. Like these medications, it was developed as a treatment for depression. Over time Paxil has begun to be used for other problems. Paxil was approved for the treatment of social phobia (also called social anxiety disorder) in 1999. It is also prescribed for treatment of panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder.
The precise mechanism responsible for the antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects of drugs like Paxil is still not completely understood. They are classified as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) because they prevent the re-uptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin at synapses in the brain and nervous system. Nerve impulses are transmitted chemically between neurons in the nervous system. Neurotransmitters like serotonin are produced by one neuron, travel across the space between the cells, and are deposited on the second neuron. It is theorized by some that keeping the serotonin around longer results in relief of depression.
Generalized anxiety disorder has been treated with several different medications in the past. Benzodiazepines, such as Valium and Xanax, relieve the symptoms of anxiety, but they can cause physiological dependence. The availability of an SSRI to treat anxiety will certainly be welcomed by psychiatrists and other physicians. These medications do not have the abuse and dependence potential that benzodiazepines do. Patients are now being advised not to abruptly discontinue SSRIs, however. Some short-lived symptoms have been noticed patients who abruptly discontinue these medications.
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Unlike phobias, where a person has a fear of a certain object or situation, generalized anxiety disorder produces free-floating anxiety that is not attached to a single source. People with GAD develop chronic and exaggerated worry and tension, even though nothing seems to provoke it. Those with this disorder are always anticipating disaster, often worrying excessively about health, money, family, or work. Simply the thought of getting through the day may provoke anxiety.
Read on for a complete definition of Generalized Anxiety Disorder...
