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by thaumasiotes 3775 days ago
> it's great to see non-psychoactive drugs used to combat mental issues

Huh??? Drugs that combat mental issues are, by definition, psychoactive. If beta blockers weren't psychoactive drugs, they would have no effect on anxiety.
2 comments
DanBC 3775 days ago
Anxiety provokes a physical response - palms start sweating, the heart beats faster and harder, breathing increases, skin itches, hair rises. These are all adrenaline reactions; part of the "fight or flight" response.

As your body goes through these physical reactions your mind starts whirring.

It's possible that calming your body helps you to calm your mind.

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gibblz 3775 days ago
Not necessarily. Betablockers can treat symptoms of anxiety resulting from activation of the sympathetic nervous system by blocking the action of adrenaline on adrenergic beta receptors. They may also have psychoactive effects (for example, propanolol appears to have some effect on memory consolidation [0]) but it's the inhibition of the body's "fight or flight" response that is helpful in treating performance anxiety.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propranolol#Psychological

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