For anyone suffering from anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety attacks and other similar mental disorders, the desire to find some relief is very important. However there are many different drugs that are available in the market today and finding one that works for you can be a bit daunting. The best way to find the right anti anxiety drugs for you is to talk with your doctor and find a treatment that will alleviate your problems.

As there’s a large amount of anti anxiety medication available you might think that any one of these will be suitable to reduce your feelings of anxiety. However, even though many of these anti anxiety medications will work to a degree, certain types of medications will work best with the particular mental disorder that closely matches their chemical criteria.

If you’re interested, the medical reasoning behind anti anxiety drugs shows they have certain chemicals within them that produce a calming and relaxing effect on the patient. There are however some side effects from these drugs and it’s therefore best to consult with your medical practitioner before you begin a course of treatment with any anti anxiety drugs.

The traditional way to treat anxiety used to be with anxiolytics, which were anti anxiety agents. Today while these anti anxiety drugs are still used there are other methods that are also used. For many people however, treating their excessive anxiety with anti anxiety drugs is the most proven way of reducing their symptoms and allowing them to lead normal lives.

The most popular anxiolytics today is Benzodiazepines.  You can take this medication 30 to 60 minutes before going into a stressful situation. For people who have acute but infrequent anxiety attacks Benzodiazepine is the best anti anxiety medication to take. However due to it’s addictive nature it’s best not to use Benzodiazepines for long term usage. The major side effect of prolonged use is that of seizures should you stop taking the medication abruptly. Others like Alprazolam (Xanax) and Lorazepam (Ativan) are also used. Valium (Diazepam) is still widely used to treat the symptoms of anxiety; however its active agent desmethyldiazepam, makes the choice of Valium a dubious relief format.

Other types of anti anxiety drugs are serotonin specific reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs.  The brand names that are given include Citalopram, Fluoxetine, Fluvoxamine and others. These SSRIs are very popular due to their low addiction levels, their mild side effects and the fact that they can bring down the feelings of acute anxiety. SSRIs work by maximizing the natural levels of serotonin in the brain.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that can affect your moods. By taking an anti anxiety medication like Paxil, serotonin is inhibited from being reabsorbed by the body. Therefore more serotonin is produced to be used when it is necessary. The side effects are mild ranging from a dry mouth to sleepiness. If you desire quick results you shouldn’t take any SSRIs as they need 2 to 6 weeks to infiltrate your system before you would notice any significant improvement.

The main drawback to SSRIs is that you must take them continuously for up to three to five weeks before any sign of improvement begins to show.  

There’s also the anti anxiety medication dopamine agonists, which increases the levels of dopamine in the brain. Like SSRIs dopamine agonists take a few weeks to show relief from anxiety. The side effects of this class of drugs, includes insomnia and extreme excitedness amongst others.

While there are known and reported side effects from the continued use of Benzodiazepines and Buspirones, people suffering from milder complaints can use these anti anxiety drugs without becoming overly addicted to them. Benzodiazepines can be given at least 30 to 60 minutes before a person suffering from anxiety is exposed to any stressful situations. Buspirones take at least 2 to 3 weeks before an improvement can be seen.

You should also be aware of the side effects that some of these anti anxiety drugs can have on you, especially if you suffer from certain medical conditions or suffer from allergic reactions to certain drugs, or are pregnant or trying to get pregnant or you’re a breast feeding mother. As with all drugs and treatments you should always consult with your doctor prior to taking any medication. It is hopeful that talking with your doctor will provide you with the information necessary to help reduce and cure your anxiety successfully.