Anxiety disorders are among the most common and most treatable mental disorders. About 25 million Americans are affected. Anxiety disorders range in severity from feelings of uneasiness to immobilizing bouts of terror. You may suffer from depression, and may use or abuse alcohol or drugs to try to relieve your symptoms. Performance on the job or in school and personal relationships may suffer.
People with general or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have ongoing, severe tension that interferes with their everyday lives. You worry constantly about jobs, school, health, and more minor issues such as chores and appointments and feel helpless about overcoming their worries. You may have trouble sleeping, muscle aches and pains, headaches, and feelings of weakness or shakiness. Those with GAD are often irritable and may have trouble concentrating.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Escitalopram, Paroxetine, Venlafaxine
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Fluvoxamine, Gabapentin, Pregabalin, Tiagabine
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). For example, if you have OCD you may be obsessed with germs or dirt and wash your hands compulsively over and over. With OCD you may be aware that your behavior is senseless but are unable to stop it, but some adults and many children with OCD aren’t even aware that their behavior is abnormal.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Clomipramine, Fluoxetine, Fluvoxamine, Paroxetine, Sertraline
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Citalopram, Mirtazapine, Pindolol, Risperidone, Venlafaxine
Panic disorder is a serious condition and quite different from fear and anxiety in everyday life. If you have panic disorder you may have panic attacks, in which you experience a sudden surge of overwhelming fear that comes without warning and without any obvious reason. Although panic attacks are not dangerous, the persistent fear of panic attacks can dominate and disrupt your life because you may avoid situations in which you believe a panic attack will occur.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Alprazolam, Clonazepam, Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Sertraline
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Amitriptyline, Desipramine, Imipramine, Nortriptyline, Trimipramine, Citalopram, Fluvoxamine, Venlafaxine, Gabapentin, Mirtazapine, Phenelzine, Pindolol, Tiagabine, Valproic Acid
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder that is triggered by memories of a traumatic event that affected you directly or that you witnessed. The disorder affects survivors of traumatic events such as sexual, or physical assault, war, torture, a natural disaster, a car accident, a hostage situation, or a death camp. It affects more than five million adults per year in the United States. PTSD often resists drug treatment.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: None
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Amitriptyline, Carbamazepine, Citalopram, Clomipramine, Desipramine, Imipramine, Nortriptyline, Trimipramine, Cyproheptadine, Fluoxetine, Gabapentin, Lamotrigine, Mirtazapine, Prazosin, Propranolol, Tiagabine, Topiramate, Trazodone, Valproic Acid
Social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, is a condition in which you have a marked and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations. You may fear that you will act in a way (or show anxiety symptoms) that will be humiliating or embarrassing. You may recognize that the fear is excessive or unreasonable. Exposure to the feared social situation almost invariably provokes anxiety, which may take the form of panic attacks. In children, the anxiety may be expressed as crying, tantrums, freezing, or shrinking from social situations with unfamiliar people.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Paroxetine, Sertraline, Venlafaxine
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Buspirone, Citalopram, Gabapentin, Pregabalin, Clonazepam, Fluoxetine, Fluvoxamine, Nefazodone
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