Others reduce activity throughout the central nervous system. But all trigger similar physical and emotional changes. Normal doses reduce anxiety or induce sleep, but tend to slow breathing and reduce blood pressure, reflexes, and body temperature. Depressants are prescribed to treat insomnia, manage anxiety, and reduce convulsive and neuromuscular disorders.
Downers can also decrease judgment and increase reaction time.
Because of the length of time necessary to break down some depressants in the body, subtle effects can continue for hours or days after use. Varies, depending on the drug. The decline in depressant drug use is reflected in recent national surveys, which show that prior-month use of tranquilizers by U.S. adults fell from 4,200,000 in 1985 to 655,000 by 1999. In the same period, the number of adults reporting previous-month use of sleeping pills fell from 2 million to 210,000. . It Now Foundation.