Best treatments for anxiety disorders (anxiety)

Understanding anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are among the most frequently experienced mental health conditions, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one common form. The NHS describes GAD as "a common mental health condition where you often feel very anxious about lots of different things." According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), people with GAD "feel extremely worried or nervous more frequently or more intensely" than a situation warrants, and GAD "usually involves a persistent feeling of anxiety or dread that interferes with how you live your life." Presentation blends psychological features (excessive worry, trouble controlling worries, feeling irritable or "on edge," restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and trouble sleeping or fatigue) with physical ones such as headaches, muscle aches, stomachaches, sweating, lightheadedness, or feeling out of breath (NIMH). Diagnosis is clinical: a health care provider such as a primary care doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker asks about symptoms, and for GAD a person "must find it difficult to control worry on most days for at least 6 months" (NIMH). The provider may also conduct a physical exam to rule out an unrelated physical cause. This is general information, not medical advice.

Frequently asked

What is the best medication for anxiety?

anxiety is anxiety disorders. There isn't a single "best" medication for everyone — For GAD, guidance emphasizes psychological therapy first. The NHS states that "a GP will usually advise you to try talking therapies before they prescribe medicine or refer you to a specialist," with the usual talking therapy being "cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with the support of a therapist." NIMH likewise notes that "cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a research-supported type of psychotherapy, is commonly used to treat GAD." When medication is used, the NHS describes a typical option as "a type of antidepressant called an SSRI"; NIMH lists antidepressant classes including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). A clinician individualizes the plan for each person. As the NHS notes, treatment "can help you to manage your symptoms, but it may take time." This is general information, not medical advice.. Compare every option ranked above by our independent recall-safety rating (not an efficacy measure); this is general information, not medical advice.

What treats anxiety disorders?

Our catalog lists 17 products that may treat anxiety disorders, based on NIH RxClass (MED-RT “may treat”) drug-classification data — not the verbatim FDA label. They're rated where FDA recall-safety data exists; the current top-rated option is buspirone hydrochloride.

What is the best-rated treatment for anxiety disorders?

By our independent recall-safety rating — not an efficacy measure — buspirone hydrochloride ranks highest among the products we list for anxiety disorders. Always consult a professional.

How are these treatments ranked?

By our independent score, currently based on FDA regulatory recall-safety data (the methodology blends additional sources as they come online). See the How we rate page.

What types of drugs treat anxiety disorders?

Treatments for anxiety disorders span FDA drug classes including cardiac glycoside, benzodiazepine, phenothiazine, tricyclic antidepressant, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Compare every option side by side, ranked by independent rating, above.

Treatment associations are derived from NIH RxClass (MED-RT “may treat”) drug-classification data — not the verbatim FDA label. This is general reference, not medical advice — always consult a licensed professional.