Anxiety involves a range of psychological and physical effects, including persistent worry and stress, a racing heart, and sweaty palms.
It’s natural to experience anxiety occasionally, but if it’s beginning to affect your life or lasts for a long time, you should consider speaking with a healthcare professional.
If you have an anxiety disorder, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or social anxiety disorder (SAD), you might consider starting anxiety medication. Different types of medications have different effects and side effects.
Types of anxiety medications

Healthcare professionals might prescribe you several types of medication to treat anxiety. These are three of the most common treatment options.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs are a kind of antidepressant. They increase the levels of serotonin in your brain, which can help regulate your mood.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it may take 6 weeks before you notice the full benefits of SSRIs. If you don’t see any improvement after this time, a healthcare professional may decide to increase your dose. Research finds that higher SSRI doses show more significant symptom improvements.
Common examples of SSRIs for anxiety include:
- sertraline (Zoloft)
- fluoxetine (Prozac)
- escitalopram (Lexapro)
- paroxetine (Paxil)
If you need help covering the cost of medications, the free Optum Perks Discount Card could help you save up to 80% on prescription drugs. Follow the links on drug names for savings on that medication, or search for a specific drug here.
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
SNRIs are another form of antidepressants that you can take to treat anxiety. They increase the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain, which also help regulate mood and behavior.
SNRIs can get to work quite quickly. The National Alliance on Mental Illness states that SSRIs can get to work within 2 weeks, although —similar to SSRIs — you should wait up to 2 months to see the full benefits.
But at higher doses of SNRIs, their tolerability sometimes lowers as side effects become worse. You can have a discussion with a healthcare professional about the risks and benefits of using SNRIs versus SSRIs and your dosing schedule.
Examples of SNRIs include:
- duloxetine (Cymbalta)
- venlafaxine (Effexor)
- desvenlafaxine (Pristiq)
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are a class of medication that affects your central nervous system. They can help provide a calming effect on your body.
Research suggests that benzodiazepines are very effective for relieving anxiety symptoms in GAD, and the researchers recommended combined treatment with antidepressants and benzodiazepines due to the differences in how they work.
Benzodiazepines are known for working quickly and are best used to provide short-term relief from symptoms at a low dose, while antidepressant medications are best for long-term usage.
Please note that because benzodiazepines are quick-acting, they have a high risk of becoming misused, leading to dependency. If you feel this is a concern for you, reach out to a healthcare professional, who can provide the support you need.
Examples include:
- alprazolam (Xanax)
- lorazepam (Ativan)
- diazepam (Valium)
Side effects
While all of these medications are effective in treating anxiety, they can all have side effects.