Drugs for treating anxiety disorder

An Anxiety Attack is an abnormal emotional and physical reaction to stress level that are common in us all and easily dealt with by most individuals.  Some people, however, have a tendency, based upon both physical and chemical imbalances and varying by patient, to not only overreact but to experience extreme terror associated with rapid heart rate and other attendant and extremely negative effects. 

The most common self-treatments for a panic attack include alterations in diet and lifestyle with additional, structured techniques including such things as reduced breathing and other self-help techniques. These types of self-help and diet/lifestyle changes can often make enough difference in your life that the symptoms as well as the attacks themselves eventually dissipate. 

However, some sufferers have the condition to the extent that only medication and behavior therapy can be expected to deal positively with its effects.  Those people typically deal with the condition with cognitive-behavior therapy and antidepressants.  Here are the typical medications that professionals rely on for this condition:

1.  Benzodiazepines – These include Xanax and Valium and are often prescribed for insomnia and stress as well as anxiety.  They are now being prescribed regularly for GAD.

2.  Beta Blockers – These are anti-hypertensive medications for both blood-pressure control and heart rate monitoring.  They are now regularly prescribed for anxiety attacks as they perform well in relieving the physical symptoms associated with panic attacks.

3.  Antidepressants – These are heavy relaxers that have traditionally been used in the treatment of obsessive/compulsive behaviors and extreme depression.  They are now widely prescribed in association with panic disorders because of their mind-clearing reaction to mood disorders.  These are also referred to as MAOI’s and they include Doxepin and Effexor.

Herbal and natural substances that in general can reduce tension and/or have a calming effect have been used for centuries, although they relieve some symptoms they have almost no impact on the root causes or the condition.

There is no FDA-approved prescription which both treats the physical symptoms and relieves or eliminates the effect and causes of Anxiety Disorder.  Working with both your physician and your therapist you can expect significant reductions in the frequency as well as the severity of the attacks.  Working with your doctors you stand a very good chance to beating the condition by learning to lessen its effects while you learn what behavior, lifestyle, prescriptions, and physical conditioning will produce the best result.