Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches people to react differently to the bodily sensations and situations that trigger anxiety and stress. Modification of thinking patterns that control the thoughts and sensations accompanying anxiety is an integral part of this form of therapy. Often, psychotherapy is used in combination with medication. Antidepressants are frequently used in combination with behavioral therapy to mitigate anxiety and stress. These medications work by inhibiting the re-uptake of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, resulting in the accumulation of these neurotransmitters.
Antidepressants are among the most widely prescribed medications in the United States.
Less frequently, benzodiazepines, such as Valium, may be used in the treatment of anxiety, but these are highly addictive agents that often cause depression. Worse than addiction is the tolerance effect that causes the patient to take increasing quantities of the benzodiazepine until the drug stops working altogether. Tolerance to benzodiazepines can occur in as little as a few weeks. Withdrawal symptoms can include hyperanxiety, confusion, anorexia, shaking, memory loss, and a re-emergence of the original symptoms. There are alternatives to these medications.