Most anxiety disorders can be treated with psychotherapy, medications, or both. Treatment depends on:

• Severity of symptoms
• Problems the symptoms are causing
• A person's preferences

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy involves talking and working with a mental health professional to understand the cause of anxiety disorder and what to do about it. These professionals can be psychiatrists, psychologists, or trained social workers.

Research shows that cognitive-behavioral therapy can be particularly helpful in treating a number of anxiety disorders. This therapy helps people:

• Better cope with anxiety
• Learn relaxation techniques
• Understand what is contributing to their anxiety
• Learn to change how they behave or respond to things that make them anxious

Drug treatment

Healthcare professionals may prescribe two categories of drugs for older adults who have anxiety:

• Antidepressants, which are usually SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). Another group of medications called SNRI’s may be used, if SSRIs don’t work. SNRI’s stand for "serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors."
• Benzodiazepines, which are sedatives. They may have more risk than benefit for older adults. Benzodiazapines also may increase the risk of falling and having cognitive impairment (problems with thinking and memory). So, this drug is not recommended as a first treatment for older adults with anxiety disorders. If older adults do receive this drug, it is best for only short periods of time.

These two types of drugs work in different ways and can cause different side effects.

Older adults are more likely to have side effects from anti-anxiety drugs than younger people because:

• Certain health problems that are common with age increase the chances of side effects.
• Older adults generally take more medications than younger people and drugs can interact in ways that cause side effects.

If your healthcare provider prescribes an anti-anxiety drug, take it as they recommend. Tell your provider quickly if the drug:

• Causes serious side effects
• Doesn’t seem to be working
• Works at first but then stops working

The provider may change the dose or tell you how to stop taking the medication and prescribe a new one. You need to follow your healthcare provider’s advice for stopping a drug.

Just because one anti-anxiety drug doesn’t work doesn’t mean others won’t. Once a medication works, take it as prescribed for as long as the healthcare provider recommends:

• If you stop as soon as your anxiety goes away, the anxiety may return and you could become more anxious than you were before.
• Some people need to take medication for anxiety for a long time.
• If you or your provider think you no longer need a medication, you can work together on how to stop taking it so your body can adjust.

Last Updated February 2023