What do I do about my loved one who has irrational fears. I tried listening and hearing. I tried to cooperate with her desire for me to take away the things that were agitating her, but it got completely out of control. She got more and more agitated. I finally had to just leave because she was getting so upset and I wasn't helping. How do I help?
No. They. Do. Not.
Used under proper medical care, they can ease anxiety.
Now can a med have bad side effects? Can a dosage be too much or too little? Sure.
I realize you have as much freedom to comment on here as anyone else. Yet you go back and forth with drugs being necessary, and then say uninformed, untrue things about meds. Which is it?
If your profile is discussing your loved one with dementia, then she's 101 and already living in a Nursing Home, which does not automatically 'cure' the situation she's experiencing. Medication is warranted in this situation, nursing home or not. My mom lived in Memory Care when I got her doctor involved, and also got hospice on board to help. When she began her end of life journey, morphine was added to the Ativan when she was feeling pain, and that brought her total relief from all of her discomfort, both mental and physical.
Wishing you the best of luck with a difficult situation.