Treating Anxiety With Nootropics
Nootropics are supplements that are mainly used to help with cognition enhancement, increasing memory and even sometimes repairing damage. The damage can come from either aging and also from neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. A great side effect of these smart drugs is that it can also have a positive effect on your mood. Anxiolytic supplements like these have had great success in helping people with anxiety issues. They help individuals feel more relaxed and can improve their social skills and help eliminate social anxiety. There are many nootropics on the market and in this article I will try to outline the best ones for the treatment of anxiety.
In the brain, there are many neurotransmitters that transmit signals from one part of the brain to another. One of these transmitters is called GABA or (gamma aninobutryic acid) a mouthful I know, so let’s stick with GABA. Anxiety itself has been shown to have many different factors that cause the disorder. One of these is a deficiency of GABA in the brain. GABA is actually produced by a separate chemical called glutamate. This is the main anxiolytic neurotransmitter in the brain which blocks the effects in the central nervous system. So when the levels of GABA in the brain are low, your nerve cells become more active and start firing off signals much quicker than they should. When the case is not too severe, this can exhibit itself as a feeling of nervousness and can induce panic attacks and in extreme cases possibly seizures.
Due to GABA being directly related to anxiety levels, when they are higher than usual or at least normal you generally feel at ease and generally more relaxed. This is exactly why there are many sedatives rely on stimulating these GABA receptor sites. Surprisingly enough, alcohol is actually known as a GABA stimulant. However, as alcohol has so many bad side effects it could not be thought of as a nootropic supplement. There are however, an array of suitable GABA stimulating nootropics that have the benefits of calming that you would be looking for in order to control the feeling of anxiety.
The one issue that you would need to keep in mind however, is that the GABA supplements are not able to cross the blood to brain barrier. This renders them no good for reducing anxiety. What you would need is a nootropic that is precursor to GABA and is capable of crossing the blood to brain barrier. There are many supplements that can penetrate through from the blood stream into the brain tissue where this process occurs. Some of these nootropics are widely available for purchase while others need a prescription from your health professional.
One of the best known supplements to relieve anxiety is called Phenibut. However, daily use of this supplement is not recommended. It can easily extend over the blood to brain barrier and activate the GABA-b receptors which causes a sedative like effect. This causes the person to relax. There are some reports that it is equivalent to drinking little bits of alcohol, which also stimulates the GABA-b receptors. Therefore, phenibut is a good anxiolytic nootropic, but can have negative side effects when used for long periods of time. It is also a prescription medicine in a lot of countries around the world, except for the USA where it is an over the counter drug.
Another great supplement to help control mood is one of the racetam nootropics. Aniracetam is the best out of this family of supplements at treating stress and anxiety. Mainly because it activates the receptors that control the glutamate in the brain. Previously mentioned, glutamate is the precursor for GABA production. This means that ingesting aniracetam actually has an effect on GABA even if it is indirectly. It has been documented from many trials and studies that aniracetam diminishes social anxiety and increases focus and communication.
Finally, noopept is very similar to the racetam nootropics. Although, from the many users the reports on its effectiveness has been met with some mixed reactions. Some rate it as great while others do not believe it has much of an effect for them. Noopept also stimulates the receptors that control the glutamate production. Also, noopept has been proven to make bigger amounts of serotonin and dopamine in the cerebral cortex of the brain. It is also touted as being two hundred times stronger than the previously mentioned aniracetam. The effects of noopept also last longer, meaning that you can take it just once and feel the stress relieving effects for the whole day.
So to sum up, there are many nootropic supplements on the market that will help to reduce anxiety at the source in the brain. Not all nootropics are created equally, and so research should be done before diving in head first. There are many places to buy these supplements but if I were you I would do some research first. Mainly to find the one that would suit your own personal situation best as well as knowing what, if any, side effects there are.
Treating Anxiety With Nootropics by Glen I Bonham
