Anxiety suppression

Anxiety suppression (also known as anxiolysis or minimal sedation)[1] is medically recognized as a partial to complete suppression of a person’s ability to feel anxiety, general unease, and negative feelings of both psychological and physiological tension.[2] The experience of this effect may decrease anxiety-related behaviours such as restlessness, muscular tension,[3] rumination, and panic attacks. This typically results in feelings of extreme calmness and relaxation.

Anxiety suppression is often accompanied by other coinciding effects such as disinhibition and sedation. It is most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of anxiolytic compounds which primarily include GABAergic depressants[4][5], such as benzodiazepines[6], alcohol [7], GHB[8], and gabapentinoids[9]. However, it can also occur to a lesser extent under the influence of a large variety of other pharmacological classes which include but are not limited to cannabinoids,[10] dissociatives[11], SSRIs[12], and opioids.