Aggressiveness, Anxiety and Drugs

• DOI: 10.1192/bjp.155.6.846
• Publication Date: 2008-08-13T00:09:46Z
• Authors: Kiril Kirov
• Keywords: Tricyclic

Aggression and anxiety are among the most common phenomena needing medical control, especially in acute mental disorders. Today we can choose from a confusingly large array of drugs which quickly control these two kinds emotional behavioural Everyday practice shows that groups symptoms, seemingly so different one another, be treated with same drugs. If probe more deeply into matter, find similarities effects include not only inhibition aggressiveness but also their enhancement, activation, provocation. These seem to form regular pattern: those increase (sympathicomimetics, catecholamines, ‘activating’ antidepressants, psychostimulants, anti-Parkinsonics (cholinolytics)) tend anxiety, while decrease (beta-blockers, neuroleptics (major tranquillisers), ‘sedative’ minor tranquilisers, hypnotics, analgesics, anticonvulsants) anxiety.