The registered nurse pointed out that the blood pressure medication, commonly used for anxiety, doesn't 'remove emotion'
Credit: Clifton Prescod/Bravo
NEED TO KNOW
- Ciara Miller, a registered nurse, refuted West Wilson’s claim that beta blockers remove emotion during stressful situations
- Wilson attributed his lack of emotion at the Summer House reunion to taking beta blockers, which suppress physical anxiety symptoms
- Beta blockers have gained popularity for managing stress and anxiety, with celebrities openly discussing their use
Summer House star Ciara Miller clapped back at ex West Wilson's claim that a beta blocker was behind his lack of emotion during the Bravo reality hit's June 9 reunion show.
"Just a medical note: beta blockers DON'T remove emotion. They work by blocking adrenaline from binding to beta receptors in your heart, blood vessels, and muscles (the receptors responsible for the physical symptoms of anxiety like increased heart rate, raised blood pressure, and trembling)," Miller, a registered nurse, wrote on Threads following the reunion.
"The EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE remains, but the physical stress response can't fully activate," Ciara continued. "It's like putting your “fight or flight” symptoms on DND…. enough with the beta blocker bulls–t."
After costar and estranged friend Jesse Solomon said he feels "like he's losing a brother," over Wilson's behavior, Wilson replied — with a stark lack of emotion.
Credit: Ralph Bavaro/Bravo via Getty
"I wanted to be here today to apologize and try to articulate well and I… the friendships here matter to me so f–ing much and it sucks knowing that I'm responsible for watching the cracks in all of this," Wilson replied.
Following the response, his tone was called out by host Andy Cohen, who asked, "No offense, are you on like, a bunch of beta blockers or what? Everybody's so emotional around you about you and your relationship, and you're like this."
"I took a beta blocker. I don't know if that's why I'm not sobbing in this moment. This matters to me. I apologize if I don't read emotional enough," said Wilson, who appeared to have taken the medication in advance of him and now-girlfriend Amanda Batula — Miller's former best friend — being grilled about the timeline of their relationship.
Beta blockers — specifically, propranolol — are a type of blood pressure medication that has suddenly become a go-to pill for anxiety and stress, with celebs like Robert Downey Jr., Khloé Kardashian, and Kristen Bell talking about taking the drugs.
Beta blockers also work by increasing the amount of serotonin in your brain and "decreasing the sympathetic nervous system response," Dr. Joseph Squitieri, division director for adult ambulatory psychiatry at Northwell Zucker Hillside Hospital, previously told PEOPLE.
Credit: Ciara Miller/Threads
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“Propranolol will reduce the stress on the heart and the overall cardiovascular workload and response,” Dr. Squitieri said, adding that it suppresses symptoms like a racing heart, sweating, flushing of the skin, tingling or numbness in your hands. Or, as he explains, “think of all the symptoms that someone could experience with a panic attack.”
Earlier in the reunion, West chalked his lack of emotion up to "trying to stay composed as much as possible."
"Or," Miller chimed in, "you're just a sociopath."
A bonus episode, Summer House: The Aftermath, which features one-on-one conversations recorded after the reunion, airs on Tuesday, June 16 at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
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