– why do benzos(like Ativan) work almost immediately, but srris take weeks to work? Are they not doing essentially the same thing ?

Question

I got an Ativan script to help w anxiety for an upcoming surgery- and I have struggled w anxiety my whole life – I did try ssris and Wellbutrin, neither made me this relaxed this easily.

I know it’s addictive, but damn I wish it could be the OTC anxiety option like Tylenol or Advil

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

They do different things. Benzos like Ativan enhance the effects of GABA which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain (it reduces neuron excitability). Increasing the effects of something that inhibits brain activity leads to a calmer state and it works very fast. SSRIs increase the levels of serotonin available in the brain by preventing serotonin getting reabsorbed into neurons. It takes the brain a while to readjust to the increased serotonin levels which is why it takes longer.