Will anti-anxiety medications make me a zombie?

Hi. It’s Jenny with AnxietyBoss.com. Our question today comes to us from Mary in Washington. Will anti-anxiety medications make me a zombie? Will it make it so I am unable to feel and deal with my stress head on?

Well, Mary, I think the word “zombie” is a bit too strong. Yes, while it is known that anti-anxiety medications may turn you slightly to moderately drowsy at first, your system will learn to cope in no time. Now whether you call this initial getting over growing dependent on the drug or not is subject to a lot of debate unless, of course, you’re taking truckloads of sedatives, depending on the type of medication.

Drugs do help you overcome anxiety by calming down your nervous system artificially. They will not cure the cause behind it. So if you think that taking more than what you’re required, whether it’s strength or doses or both, will cure your anxiety, then you’re sadly mistaken. Many drugs are safe at low doses depending on your body, and they won’t put you in a trancelike state. But problems do occur when you start taking these medications and you need to take them more and more for them to be effective.

Another issue is extreme anxiety does require extreme measures and you need to have your mind in equilibrium, so you need to find the right balance between two much and too little. It’s generally not recommended to take most medications forever, so if you can get off anti-anxiety medications safely, then you should consider doing so.

AnxietyBoss.com gives you great resources so that you can find out exactly what you need to know about coming off the meds, as well as making sure that you take the right amount. But as always, make sure you get the go ahead from your doctor before making any drastic changes.

Thanks for your question and be sure to visit us at AnxietyBoss.com.