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Comment by whiteandnerdy | Hacker News Reader

I'd like to offer a counterpoint to your views on medication. For those who suffer from acute, short-term anxiety over a specific event, for example an exam or an interview, beta blockers such as propranolol can be really helpful - as I understand it they interrupt the fight-or-flight adrenaline response to stop you working yourself into a panic. They were wonderful for me during exams and graduate interviews, and now I barely ever need them. I still suffer from chronic anxiety, but that acute performance anxiety is not a problem for me anymore.

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Wow, I can't believe I forgot beta-blockers... Especially since I have a long running prescription for them. I agree with all you've said and would even go a little further. They're quite safe to take on a regular basis and are especially effective for 'panic' type anxiety reactions (i.e. 'physical' anxiety symptoms). I still remember the first time I took these. That day, I spoke up in a large work meeting with a bunch on unfamiliar people. And for the first time in my life, I was not a shaking, sweaty mess afterwards.

The only very minor risk with them is if you're taking a fairly high daily dose and then suddenly stop. From what I understand this is really only a problem if you have some sort of pre-existing coronary disorder. Also contra-indicated if you have asthma (as it basically does the exact opposite of what those ventolin puffers do).

> For those who suffer from acute, short-term anxiety over a specific event, for example an exam or an interview, beta blockers such as propranolol can be really helpful - as I understand it they interrupt the fight-or-flight adrenaline response to stop you working yourself into a panic.

Thanks for the recommendation. My girlfriend thinks she needs benzodiazepenes for anxiety. The doctors give her just enough to get addicted, then take them away.

Looking around just now, it seems like Clonidine is another anti-adrenaline drug that would be useful for acute anxiety. It's commonly used for smoking withdrawal too.

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