Barb-SAN
05-21-2010, 04:56 PM
http://anxieties.com/newsletters/anxietyupdate_2010spring.php
Of particular interest (since the "medications" issue comes up frequently here)
Self-Help & Professional Update:
Benzodiazepines versus SSRIs in the Learning Process
At the recent ADAA national conference, I had the opportunity to hear Extinguishing Anxiety co-author Dr. Catherine M. Pittman talk on anxiety and the brain. She spoke about how medications fit into this picture. There are three questions to ask about medications:
How do they affect the anxiety response?
How do they affect the exposure process? (Meaning how do they affect the amygdala’s learning?
How do they affect cognitive interventions? (Meaning how do they affect the cortex’s learning?)Based on the principle that you need to “activate to generate” new circuitry, here’s what she said:
The SSRIs, such as Zoloft (sertraline), Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate), & Prozac (fluoxetine)
While they have little immediate effect on the anxiety response, they eventually stimulate neurons to modify the circuits
It’s possible that they can facilitate activation and new learningThe Benzodiazepines, such as Valium (diazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), & Klonopin (clonazepam)
Decrease anxiety immediately
However, they reduce the amygdala’s ability to respond. If they reduce activation, they will tend to preserve the current state of the circuitry
Therefore, they will impair new learning during exposure treatmentEssentially, the benzodiazepines put the amygdala to sleep. A sleeping amygdala cannot learn anything.
Of particular interest (since the "medications" issue comes up frequently here)
Self-Help & Professional Update:
Benzodiazepines versus SSRIs in the Learning Process
At the recent ADAA national conference, I had the opportunity to hear Extinguishing Anxiety co-author Dr. Catherine M. Pittman talk on anxiety and the brain. She spoke about how medications fit into this picture. There are three questions to ask about medications:
How do they affect the anxiety response?
How do they affect the exposure process? (Meaning how do they affect the amygdala’s learning?
How do they affect cognitive interventions? (Meaning how do they affect the cortex’s learning?)Based on the principle that you need to “activate to generate” new circuitry, here’s what she said:
The SSRIs, such as Zoloft (sertraline), Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate), & Prozac (fluoxetine)
While they have little immediate effect on the anxiety response, they eventually stimulate neurons to modify the circuits
It’s possible that they can facilitate activation and new learningThe Benzodiazepines, such as Valium (diazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), & Klonopin (clonazepam)
Decrease anxiety immediately
However, they reduce the amygdala’s ability to respond. If they reduce activation, they will tend to preserve the current state of the circuitry
Therefore, they will impair new learning during exposure treatmentEssentially, the benzodiazepines put the amygdala to sleep. A sleeping amygdala cannot learn anything.