All the info I can find on anxiety seems to say it is due to adrenaline and the fight or flight response. However I know that musicians take beta blockers (which block the effects of adrenaline) to prevent the symptoms of anxiety. But beta blockers only prevent the physical symptoms like shaking, high pulse rate, sweating, etc. They supposedly do nothing for the mental effects of anxiety like fear, terror, shame, etc. For those people take GABA agonists like xanax (GABA opens Cl channels and as a result slows nerve transmission). So I’m guessing the physical and mental symptoms are due to two totally different pathways. One leads to extra adrenaline and one leads to extra CNS activity.
So if the fear response is based on adrenaline, why doesn’t an adrenaline blocker prevent all the symptoms of anxiety instead of just the physical ones? Where does the extra CNS activity that seems to be independent of adrenaline and that people take GABA agonists to deal with come from?
Epinephrine, (Adrenaline is/was a brand name) is not the only catacholomine at work in a stress response. Beta blockers only effect the beta affective catocholomines. The alpha and mixed are not, or less effected. Epi has no beta effect. Dopamine does. Since epinephrine is built from dopamine, taking a BB indirectly causes a decrease in epinephrine by blocking its precursor. You can’t make chicken soup if you don’t have chicken. GABA agonistsdon’t affect catocholomines. They are neuro transmitters
So , on a narrow level, you’re correct.
Aside, in practical use, beta blockers do seem to lessen the emotional aspect of stage fright. The thought is, that by controlling the physical symptoms of stress a placebo effect on neuro tansmission is achieved. I know it doesn’t work for everyone. I don’t have a cite, its just something I’ve talked about over coffee with a friend who is a neurobiologist.