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Anti-anxiety medication is any drug that can be taken or prescribed for the treatment of Anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders can be mediated by neurotransmitters like norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid in the central nervous system. Anti-anxiety medication can be classified into six types according to their different mechanisms: antidepressants, benzodiazepines; buspirone; antiepileptics; antipsychotics; and beta-adrenoceptor antagonists.
Antidepressants including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors , serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors , tricyclic antidepressants , Monoamine oxidase inhibitor. SSRIs are used in all types of anxiety disorders while SNRIs are used for generalized anxiety disorder. Both of them are considered as first-line anti-anxiety medications. TCAs are second-line treatment as they cause more significant adverse effects when compared to the first-line treatment. Benzodiazepines are effective in emergent and short-term treatment of anxiety disorders due to their fast onset but carry the risk dependence. Buspirone is indicated for GAD, which has much slower onset but with the advantage of less sedating and withdrawal effects.
Anti-anxiety medications have been known to cause many adverse reactions as well as addiction and withdrawal symptoms.