The next class of medication are anti-anxiety medicines, which reduce the emotional and physical symptoms of anxiety. Benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax) can treat social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. This information comes from NAMI and goodtherapy.org
These medicines work quickly and are very effective in the short-term. However, people prone to substance abuse may become dependent on them.
Because the body can become used to the meds, doctors may need to increase the dosage over time to get the same therapeutic effect. People who stop taking benzodiazepines suddenly may experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Other potential side effects include:
- Low blood pressure
- Decreased sex drive
- Nausea
- Lack of coordination
- Depression
- Unusual emotional dysfunction, including anger and violence
- Memory loss
- Difficulty thinking
Antianxiety and antipanic medications on the market include: