Is it worth it to take medication for anxiety?

If you have severe anxiety that’s interfering with your ability to function, medication may be helpful—especially as a short-term treatment. However, many people use anti-anxiety medication when therapy, exercise, or other self-help strategies would work just as well or better, minus the drawbacks.

What are the downsides of anxiety medication?

These medications can cause several side effects, such as:

• blurry vision.
• confusion.
• dizziness.
• drowsiness or fatigue.
• headaches.
• loss of memory or concentration.
• problems with balance, coordination, or speech.
• an upset stomach.

Do anxiety meds have bad side effects?

A. Fortunately, SSRIs are generally safe drugs. Like all medicines, they can produce side effects in some people: insomnia, rashes, headaches, joint and muscle pain, stomach upset, nausea, and diarrhea are most common. They also can diminish sexual interest, desire, performance, satisfaction, or all four.

Can anxiety meds make things worse?

More than 100 million people worldwide take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac and Zoloft, to treat depression, anxiety and related conditions, but these drugs have a common and mysterious side effect: they can worsen anxiety in the first few weeks of use, which leads many patients to stop …

What is the best non addictive medicine for anxiety?

1) SSRIs. 2) SNRIs. 3) Vistaril® (Hydroxyzine) 4) Buspar® (Buspirone) 5) Beta Blockers.

What are the most effective anxiety medications?

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs): These medications have been found to be highly effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders, including panic disorder and social phobia. There are, however, serious side effects. People taking MAOIs must follow a restrictive diet to avoid a substance called tyramine that is found in certain foods.

What drugs cause extreme anxiety?

Withdrawal from drugs, such as heroin, can also cause anxiety. Occasionally, taking tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants that increase serotonin in the brain, can precipitate anxiety symptoms.

How to deal with anxiety without taking medication?

In the long term, diet is key to reducing anxiety, says Dr. Ramsey. His advice: Eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet with carefully selected meat and seafood, plenty of leafy greens (such as kale) to get folate, and a wide variety of phytonutrients to help reduce anxiety.