Learn About New Drugs to Treat Mental Health Issues

Many people suffer from anxiety or depression, and sometimes both anxiety and depression. Any news of a breakthrough drug offers renewed hope. Due to the COVID-19, many people have a mental health issue for the first time. Considering which drugs for anxiety and depression are most effective is a top concern.

There are new drugs to treat anxiety that are now in clinical trials. Recently, some newly approved drugs offer hope to many who might not have found success with an earlier brand. As well as the drugs, there are helpful holistic actions to consider furthermore for treating depression and anxiety.

About Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorder is the most common mental health problem in the U.S.. About 40 million adults struggle with some type of anxiety. The most common type is called generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD. GAD affects 3.1% of adults, or nearly 7 million people. Symptoms include:

• Excess worry
• Hyper-vigilance
• Not able to fall asleep or remain asleep.
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Feeling restless
• Sweating
• Stomach problems
• Trouble concentrating
• Short-term memory problems

There are a number of types of anxiety disorder. These include:

GAD. Feelings of fear and worry that are in excess of norm. Symptoms are shortness of breath, racing heart, sweating, dizziness, and sleep problems.

Phobia. Extreme and unreasonable fear related to a specific object or situation, causing avoidance behaviors.

Social anxiety. Features intense fear of being judged or rejected by others. This causes sweating, blushing, muscle tension, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and feeling lightheaded. It also causes the person to avoid settings where they will feel this fear response.

Panic disorder. Features a sudden event that causes chest pain, trembling, shortness of breath, nausea, and sense of doom. It differs from a panic attack, as there is no real trigger.

Post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a prolonged response to a trauma. PTSD features flashbacks or nightmares, insomnia, irritability, substance abuse, and avoidance.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD involves a cycle of obsessive fear and the compulsive response to calm the fears.

About Depressive Disorder

About 17.3 million adults in the U.S. suffer from depression. The type of depression will have certain features, making each type differ slightly from the other. The types of depression include:

• Major Depressive Disorder. Symptoms include sadness, changes in eating and sleep habits, trouble focusing, feelings of shame or guilt, loss of interest in life, and thoughts about suicide.
• Dysthymia. This is a type of MDD that lasts for more than two years. Someone with dysthymia may have severe depression or periods of milder depression.
• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder. A severe form of PMS that features extreme mood swings, anger, sadness, and irritability.
• Postpartum Depression. Some women experience serious depression during or after giving birth. The symptoms are severe fatigue, exhaustion, anxiety and profound sadness.
• Seasonal Affective Disorder. In certain climates a lack of sun exposure during the winter months can cause depression. Symptoms include depression symptoms, plus weight gain, too much sleeping, and isolating.
• Bipolar Disorder. Features cycling shifts between depressive and manic moods. The low mood episodes can last days or weeks.

New Medications for Anxiety

In recent years there have been some new drug trials for the treatment of anxiety. The mental health field is looking forward to some new entries. These new drugs will be able to help patients once the drugs get FDA clearance. Some of the drugs include:

Aloradine: A central nervous system neuro-active nasal spray for the treatment of social anxiety.

NBTX-001: Contains the noble gas xenon for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

SRX246: A highly selective vasopressin receptor antagonist for the treatment of GAD and PTSD.

New Medications for Depression

Just as for anxiety, there are also several new drugs on the way for the treatment of depression. These include:

Zulresso: An IV drug for treating postpartum depression in women.

Oleptro: A newly approved medication that is basically a new form of the older drug, trazodone.

Esketamine: Derived from ketamine and shown to have an anti-depressant effect.

Holistic Treatments for Anxiety and Depression

A variety of natural supplements have been found to help people manage symptoms of depression or anxiety:

• Supplements for depression:
  • Sam-E
  • St. John’s Wort
  • 5-HTP

• Supplements for anxiety:
  • GABA
  • Kava
  • Passion flower
  • Valerian
  • Lavender
  • Chamomile

In addition to the role of supplements for treating mental health, a whole host of activities can also help. For instance these include:

Yoga. Yoga blends poses, positions, and movements that are designed for calming the mind while toning muscles and stretching the body.

Mindfulness. This is a type of meditation where you learn to draw random thoughts back to the present moment. It can help you focus on the senses and the breathing process.

Deep breathing. Simple focused breathing can have a swift impact on stress levels. Deep breathing can be done anywhere at any time. This offers a fast reduction in heart rate and blood pressure and brings about calm.

Meditation. Finding time for quiet time to reflect or pray can help you relax. These short 15-minute sessions can be done outside in nature or in your own room.

Aromatherapy. Essential oils are derived from plants and flowers and used in aromatherapy. It is used in vapor form to be deeply inhaled. The oils can also be applied to certain places on the body. Several of the oils are used to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The Treatment Specialist an Online Resource for Mental Health Information

The Treatment Specialist is an online resource for informative articles on mental health conditions and treatment options for adults, teens, and families. For more information and guidance please contact the team at (866) 644-7911.