# possible cure for anxiety?



## scylla (Nov 5, 2008)

*copy pasted from the BBC news*

Scientists believe a common heart medicine may be able to banish fearful memories from the mind.

The Dutch investigators believe beta-blocker drugs could help people suffering from the emotional after-effects of traumatic experiences.

They believe the drug alters how memories are recalled after carrying out the study of 60 people, Nature Neuroscience reports.

But British experts questioned the ethics of tampering with the mind.

Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said he was concerned about the "fundamentally pharmacological" approach to people with problems such as phobias and anxiety. Before eradicating memories, we must reflect on the knock-on effects that this will have on individuals

Medical ethics expert Dr Daniel Sokol

He said the procedure might also alter good memories and warned against an "accelerated Alzheimer's" approach.

In the study, the researchers artificially created a fearful memory by associating pictures of spiders with a mild electric shock delivered to the wrists of the volunteers.

A day later the volunteers were split into two groups - one was given the beta blocker propranolol and the other a dummy drug before both were shown the same pictures again.

The researchers assessed how fearful of the pictures the volunteers were by playing sudden noises and measuring how strongly they blinked, something called the "startle response".

Memories erased

The group that had taken beta blockers showed less fear than the group that had taken the placebo pill.

The following day, once the drug was out of their system, the volunteers were retested. Once again, those who had taken the beta blocker were less startled by the images.

Study leader Dr Merel Kindt explained that although the memories are still intact, the emotional intensity of the memory is dampened.

Dr Kindt stressed that using the procedure for complex conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder was still many years away.

Experiments on animals has shown beta blockers can interfere with how the brain makes sense of frightening events.

The told PNAS: "Millions of people suffer from emotional disorders and the relapse of fear, even after successful treatment.

"Our findings may have important implications for the understanding and treatment of persistent and self-perpetuating memories in individuals suffering from emotional disorders."

But Professor Neil Burgess of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience said the research merely demonstrates that the beta blockers reduce a person's startle response, breaking the association of the spider to these unconscious responses.

And Dr Daniel Sokol, lecturer in Medical Ethics at St George's, University of London, said memories were important, for people to learn from their mistakes for example.

"Removing bad memories is not like removing a wart or a mole. It will change our personal identity since who we are is linked to our memories. It may perhaps be beneficial in some cases, but before eradicating memories, we must reflect on the knock-on effects that this will have on individuals, society and our sense of humanity."

John Harris, Professor of Bioethics at the University of Manchester, said: "An interesting complexity is the possibility that victims, say of violence, might wish to erase the painful memory and with it their ability to give evidence against assailants."


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## Matt210 (Aug 15, 2004)

While i'm sure that people could (and do) argue that current medications block the emotional intensity of the present, and that this isn't much different - there is something unsettling about this sort of idea.

To take away fear from a memory asks what kind of procedures come next. Maybe we aren't so far away from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as we think (although I don't think there is any evidence that memories are localized).

But I suppose if it could help people with PTSD which I know can be quite severe then it is promising.


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2009)

I saw something about this yesterday.

What scientists actually discovered is that after people were tested for startle response, in a controlled study using Beta-Blockers, their startle level/response remained reduced when tested afterwards without the Beta-Blockers. Beta-Blockers do not tamper with the mind or erase memories. It's more like De-sensitization. So it is thought that Beta-Blockers control anxiety even after one has stopped taking them.

I used Beta Blockers(Propanadol) for dissociative headaches and anxiety for a time. Those Dissociative headaches were so debilitating at one point that I couldn't function with them at all when I had one. The Beta-Blockers worked amazingly.


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## darrenalex (Oct 23, 2009)

hi there...

Anxiety is a disorder that make you be nervous every time. You have to find the causes and then try to bit it. Here are some advices that work for me try it maybe works for you

drink warm milk with cinnamon before go to bed
not see any rate R movie [violence] or news
blocking your bad thoughts time after time
praying to God to give you peace of mind.


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## Harleystreet (Jan 9, 2010)

no cure of anxiety.

Harely Street Psychotherapist


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## Guest (Aug 30, 2010)

This fear is actually millions of years old, for it arises from the biological programming of our species.Anxiety is just a coping mechanism that our body produces to deal with the many activities in our lives. It is only troublesome when anxiety become constant and overwhelming which in turn becomes into a disabling disorder.


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## Guest (Oct 12, 2010)

This is a perfect information that erases all my doubts and gives a clear idea about it. Anxiety is a disorder that makes you feel nervous every time. We must find the causes and try to bit it. He is really advantageous for me.I would be definable take advantage of it.


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## JJ70 (Nov 1, 2010)

Beta Blockers work great for anxiety especially when combined with a benzo. It also help with cognative therapy, if you face something your afraid of enough times without feeling fear your brain stops being afraid of it. Also good for say fear of being on a plane, not something most people can do everyday to kill their fear, beta's with benzos a big help.

JJ


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2010)

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress.When you worry too much about the problems every day,so you can have the possibility of anxiety disorder.It is possible to treat mental disorders.This problem can be cured without medication if it is in initial phase.


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