Does Using Tranquilizers Help Veterans With PTSD

Does Using Tranquilizers Help Veterans With PTSD PTSD PTSD and the Military Print Does Using Tranquilizers Help Veterans With PTSD? Tranquilizers are not recommended for long term use By Matthew Tull, PhD twitter Matthew Tull, PhD is a professor of psychology at the University of Toledo, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder. Learn about our editorial policy Matthew Tull, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on June 24, 2019 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes & Risk Factors Treatment Living With In Children Getty Images News There are a number of treatments available for people with PTSD, including both psychological treatments such as talk therapy and medications such as tranquilizers. With regard to medications, the American Psychiatric Association recommends selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for the treatment of PTSD. What Are SSRIs? SSRIs are generally considered anti-depressant medications. Serotonin is a chemical in your brain thats involved in regulating mood, as well as other functions. Some people have imbalances in the serotonin systems in their brains, contributing to feelings of depression or anxiety. SSRIs prevent the breakdown, or reuptake, of serotonin by your brain â€" increasing the available levels of serotonin, which is thought to eventually improve mood. Several studies have found that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be useful in the treatment of PTSD. What Are Benzodiazepines? Benzodiazepines are another medication that may be prescribed for PTSD. The term benzodiazepines refer to a class of drugs that have a sedative effect and are often used to successfully alleviate anxiety. These drugs, often referred to as tranquilizers, result in a relatively quick reduction in anxiety.? Although benzodiazepines may be prescribed for PTSD, certain organizations, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD), do not recommend benzodiazepines for the long-term management of PTSD. While these medications may be useful for some symptoms of PTSD, such as anxiety and difficulty sleeping, studies do not support their usefulness in the treatment of most PTSD symptoms, including avoidance symptoms. In addition, when not taken properly, theres potential for dependence on, or abuse of, benzodiazepines. People with PTSD and substance-abuse problems (two conditions which frequently co-occur) may be particularly at risk. Certain uses of benzodiazepines may also interfere with psychological treatments for PTSD, such as exposure therapy, in which people are instructed to confront feared situations, thoughts, and feelings and are then taught to maintain contact with these things until the fear and anxiety naturally lessen. The decision to use a benzodiazepine to instead reduce this anxiety would interfere with this process. Benzodiazepine Use in Veterans Given that the VA and DoD do not recommend the use of benzodiazepines for the long-term management of PTSD symptoms, a group of researchers from the Iowa City VA Medical Center wanted to see if benzodiazepine use in veterans changed over the course of 11 years. They looked at medical records (from 1998 to 2009) of a large number of veterans with PTSD and found that, although the number of veterans with PTSD being treated in the VA increased, the frequency of benzodiazepine use among veterans with PTSD decreased from about 37 to 31 percent. New patients were the least likely to be prescribed benzodiazepines and those who did receive a benzodiazepine received a low dose. Finally, the number of long-term users of benzodiazepines also decreased. Addressing Your PTSD Symptoms The results of this study show that mental health professionals appear to be prescribing benzodiazepines less for the treatment of PTSD. Although the exact reasons for this are not clear from this study, the findings are promising. They may suggest that mental health professionals are more aware of the potential risks of prescribing benzodiazepines for PTSD, and they may also suggest that mental health professionals are relying more on the wide variety of other treatments or medications that have been found useful for people with PTSD. Although the long-term use of benzodiazepines may be associated with some risks, its important to remember that no treatments for PTSD are risk-free. Even psychological treatments for PTSD are associated with some side effects, such as a potential initial increase in anxiety. In addition, your doctor may recommend the short-term management of certain symptoms of PTSD with benzodiazepines. In getting treatment for your PTSD, its important to work with your doctor or other health professionals to identify the best treatment for your symptoms. In addition, its incredibly important to make sure you follow the guidelines set up by your doctor or other health professionals, especially when it comes to medications. Doing so can help minimize risks as well as maximize the benefits of any treatment.