It is almost beyond belief how many people are suffering from anxiety disorders. While statistics may vary,reports are that 40 million people of all ages are in the throes of some form of the various anxiety disorders and are frantically looking for much needed relief. That relief may come with the medications for anxiety, herbal or natural treatments or some sort of therapy such as cognitive/behavioral therapy, relaxation therapy or faith based therapy to name a few. Although this is not intended to be a scholarly analysis of these various medications, our purpose is to give you an enlightening overview of what they are, their use and their effects.

Let me warn you, these tongue-twisting names may floor you, but just remember, it’s what they do for you, not their difficulty in pronouncing that counts. Our purpose is not to impress you with our medical knowledge, but to help you make important decisions about your health aided by information from the ADAA. We begin with these cautionary reminders: anxiety medications do not cure, they reduce symptoms basically so that other therapies may be administered; they should be used only with your doctor’s permission and care; and it is not for you to abruptly decide to stop any of the medications for anxiety, you do that at the direction of your doctor.

We’ll begin our descriptions of the medications for anxiety by reminding you of beta blockers, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety drugs. Then we’ll zoom in on the newest line of antidepressants which you already know: these three SSRIs are Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft. They are prescribed to treat generalized anxiety and social anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. How do they do it? They act by altering the serotonin level in the brain, which lowers the level of anxiety.

Next let’s look briefly at the Tricylic (TCA) antidepressants, also effective in treating anxirty, which are Doxeprin, Anafranil and Vivactil. These antidepressants work in a similar way to the SSRIs and target basically the same disorders. In addition to increasing the concentration of serotonin, the TCA also affects the activity of a substance called norepinepherine. Medical reports indicate that while TCAs are effective medicines, their unpleasant side effects make them less preferable than the SSRIs.

Finally, the MAOI which are the first or the oldest of the antidepressants are Marplan, Nardil and Parnate, and are classified as inhibitors, because they work by blocking or inhibiting the influence of an important brain enzyme. The MAOI are generally prescribed by doctors in the treatment of panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder.

Medications may be part of the therapy process either at the beginning or introduced later if other therapy is not doing the job. And it may be a good option for you, but it’s important to understand that medications are effective only if taken according to your doctor’s instructions. Please don’t neglect to make a list of questions for your doctor, including both long term and short term side effects.

As with all of us under medication of any sort, a common fear is one of being over-medicated to the extent of becoming addicted. Although this fear could certainly be realized due to careless oversight of what is happening with your anxiety medications, it doesn’t have to be. Both you and your doctor are responsible for seeing that side effects of the medications used are properly monitored and that the correct medications have been prescribed.

I hope by reading this article, your fears have been somewhat allayed, you understand that there are treatments available just for you, both through the use of medications for anxiety and psychotherapy and that you can be on the way to peace of mind and freedom from anxiety.

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