Find the Approach That's Right for You
Counseling, or psychotherapy, often called “talk”
therapy, comes in many forms. Basically, it helps people develop new
ways to cope with problems, and to identify and understand more about
anxiety and how to avoid it in the future.
Antianxiety medicines work by helping to correct the imbalance of
certain important chemicals in the brain. These medicines may take
several weeks to be effective, but they work well and are generally
safe. There are several types of medicines used to treat the symptoms of
generalized anxiety disorder.
Azaspirones
These drugs work gradually over 2 to 4 weeks to relieve
symptoms of GAD. They do not make you drowsy or impair memory or balance.
They are also not habit forming and can be discontinued without causing
withdrawal symptoms. When
there are side effects, they are not usually serious enough to make
most people stop taking them.
Benzodiazepines
Several drugs in this class are used to treat generalized
anxiety disorder (GAD). Some can also be used to treat panic disorder
and social phobia. These are relatively fast-acting drugs. Their principal
side effect is drowsiness, but they also have the potential to be
habit forming. People taking a benzodiazepine can experience a return
of their anxiety symptoms when the drug is discontinued. They may
also experience temporary withdrawal symptoms.
Tricyclics (TCAs)
These drugs were first used for treating depression, but
some are also effective in blocking panic attacks. Tricyclics generally
take 2 or 3 weeks to take effect. Some people feel the most
annoying side effect of these drugs is weight gain. Other side effects
include drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness and impaired sexual function.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
These drugs are used in the treatment of panic disorder,
social phobia, PTSD, and sometimes OCD. They require dietary restrictions,
and people taking an MAO inhibitor must avoid other medications, wine
and beer, and food such as certain cheeses. Most doctors prefer to
try other treatments first before using MAOIs.
Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SRIs)
There are 2 types of SRIs — selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and serotonin-norepinephrine
reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Lexapro is an SSRI. Both SSRIs and SNRIs work by correcting the imbalance
of brain chemicals that is believed to be the underlying cause of
both depression and anxiety disorders.
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