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Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

As it has already been discussed that anxiety is one of the major issues among the citizens of the United States of America and has been disturbing the individual from all the walks of life. Anxiety is a mental disorder that can disturb individuals at any stage, irrespective of age, color, caste, creed, nationality or religion. The social status or occupation also does not matter in the case of anxiety, as the victims of anxiety belong to every occupation and from every walk of life.

One of the very effective methods of treatment of anxiety is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, commonly known as CBT. It is a short-term and goal-oriented psychotherapy treatment that aims to solve the psychological issue of the patient (Dobson, and Dozois, 2019, pp. 120). CBT is a much practical approach for the treatment of anxiety, which aims to address the root or cause of the problem, by bringing a change in the attitudes and thinking of the client and altering how they feel about different things.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT was not in the form that is seen today. It has undergone a number of developmental stages and has come to a final and reformed stage that we see today. CBT is, in fact, an umbrella term, used for a number of therapies that are used for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and similar disorders. In the very initial stages, there were two forms of CBT, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and Cognitive Therapy. Both these therapies were developed by Albert Ellis in 1950s and Dr Aaron T. Beck in 1960s, who was also a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania, respectively. Dr Beck carried on a number of experiments to check the psychoanalytical effects of depression. The successful results of these experiments led to the further development of a mixture or amalgamation of different therapies to form a collective therapy known as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).

Benzodiazepines (BZD)

Another treatment method or therapy that is used for the cure of anxiety is Benzodiazepines (BZD). Where Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a non-medicinal, psychotherapeutic procedure that uses the techniques of talking and altering the mental makeup of the patient. Benzodiazepines (BZD), on the other hand, is a clinical procedure that makes use of medicines or drugs to treat the person suffering from anxiety. Benzodiazepines, also known as BZD, BDZ or BZs, is a class of psychoactive drugs that are used to treat the symptoms of anxiety, seizures, panic attacks, and insomnia. The core components of Benzodiazepines (BZD) is a combination of both benzene ring and a diazepine ring (Airagnes, Pelissolo, Lavallée, Flament, and Limosin, 2016 pp. 89).

Benzodiazepines (BZD) are most effective in the treatment of a number of neurological and psychological disorders, as they directly affect the neurons that trigger stress and anxiety reactions. There are different classes of Benzodiazepines (BZD) that are used for the treatment of anxiety and depression according to the nature or severity of the disorder. Some of the common classes of this drug are Xanax, Ativan, and Valium, which are used for their tranquilizing and anti-anxiety effects. But the most effective and strongest of all the Benzos is Halcion, which is also accepted and processed by the body much faster than any other drug of the same class. These drugs are also known as “Schedule IV controlled substances”.

Benzodiazepines (BZD) work by altering the function of the neurotransmitters GABA in the body. It keeps the brain in a more calm and tranquilized state (Airagnes, Pelissolo, Lavallée, Flament, and Limosin, 2016, pp. 89). The overdose of Benzos is rarely fatal, but medical practitioners recommend not to mix it with opioids, alcohol, barbiturates or tricyclic antidepressants.

References

Airagnes, G., Pelissolo, A., Lavallée, M., Flament, M. and Limosin, F., 2016. Benzodiazepine misuse in the elderly: risk factors, consequences, and management. Current psychiatry reports, 18(10), p.89.

Dobson, K.S. and Dozois, D.J. eds., 2019. Handbook of cognitive-behavioral therapies. Guilford Publications.