Pros and Cons of Medication For Treatment of Anxiety Panic Attack Symptoms

We anxiety sufferers are always on the lookout for relief from the horrible symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks. There is certainly no shortage of anxiety attack panic treatments on the market, but the difficulty is in choosing the best one for you.

If you’re like me, you’re not just looking for a “band-aid” solution that just provides short term relief from the anxiety panic attack symptoms, you’re looking for true freedom from the chains of anxiety.

As with anything else, doctors are quick to push medications on us for anxiety attack panic treatments. For some, prescription medication is the perfect solution. For others it is not enough. Let’s examine the pros and cons of using medications as the sole treatment for anxiety and panic attacks.

Pros

1. Convenience. Perhaps the biggest advantage for medication. Pop a pill into your mouth and swallow – it doesn’t get much easier than that. Both prescription and over-the-counter drugs are very easy to obtain as well. A quick trip to the doctor or the corner pharmacy is all it takes.

2. Speed. Another big pro for drugs – Instant gratification. Some medications take effect in as little as 5 minutes. This is very tempting for those dealing with very unpleasant anxiety panic attack symptoms.

3. Effectiveness. Yes, generally speaking, medication works. Anti-anxiety medications are quite effective in masking anxiety panic attack symptoms. Most of these medications also relax you which can help in avoiding anxiety attacks.

Cons

1. Unpleasant side effects. Anytime you introduce a synthetic chemical into your system, there is a risk of side effects. While medication may provide relief for many people, others are left worse off than they were originally. Drugs still have a long way to go to be considered a universal cure, unlike natural cures for panic attacks.

2. Tolerance. Medication should be used very sparingly and only when necessary. Eventually, our bodies get used to having the drugs in our systems and we develop a tolerance for them. Once your body gets used to it, medication may not work as well as it used to, causing you to need to keep increasing your dosage.

3. It’s Only Temporary. Even though it can be quite effective, medication is still just a temporary fix. It may reduce the intensity and frequency of our anxiety attacks, but medication alone cannot eliminate them completely because it doesn’t go to the root of the problem. Medication is a good interim fix to alleviate our anxiety until we find a more permanent solution.

Medication is a viable option as an effective anxiety attack panic treatment, but it isn’t the best option.