Stress is a part and parcel of life, and we will experience stress through out our lives in various degrees. Hence it is difficult to control stress in our lives. Ideally there is no standard pharmaceutical therapy for the management of daily stress like the stress due to work or family-related. Drinking to relieve stress is an example of "self-medication" which includes the dangerous practices of prescription and nonprescription drug abuse. The symptoms of stress are chronic anxiety, restlessness and sleeping disorders.
Tension-Type Headache(TTH)
A common but debilitating stress effect is tension-type headache (TTH), caused by fluctuations in blood circulation and muscle tension, especially in scalp and face. Antidepressant medication has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of chronic tension-type headache (TTH). When TTHs occur near daily or very frequently (over 15 days per month), extending to at least a six-month period of time, they are termed chronic TTHs. It showed that both the medical therapy with tricyclic antidepressant medication and stress management therapy were more effective in reducing headache activity, headache-related disability, and pain.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD)
Sertraline (Zoloft), is an antidepressant, which can help reduce symptoms associated with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are currently being studied and are generally thought to be effective for PTSD, but research is ongoing. Carbamazepine, an anticonvulsant medication may be added to treatment with an SSRI to help reduce intrusive symptoms, anger, and impulsive behaviors associated with PTSD. However, the effectiveness of carbamazepine is only now being studied and its effectiveness has not yet been proven. Other mood stabilizers such as lithium and valproate may also be used to treat PTSD.
Anti-Anxiety Drugs
The most common anti-anxiety medication— benzodiazepines and buspirone—are given for short term benefits. But these may lead to side effects such as drowsiness or lethargy, and dependency on part of the patient. Antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs are those classes of prescription drugs that are most often abused or misused. Physicians have to be extra careful in deciding the most appropriate anti-anxiety medication for individual needs and symptoms
External Links:
5 tips to reduce stress - provides different strategies to make you happy by advicing through different articles.
stress management-Basics - links to the resources on stress management, stress relief and related issues