9 Signs You Might Need Anxiety Medication

Updated 8/29/2024

Anxiety is a common but highly treatable condition. Research shows it impacts the lives of 40 million American adults each year, making it the most common mental health condition in the country. However, despite the efficacy of anxiety treatment options, less than 40% of people seek help. 

Anxiety can manifest with emotional and physical symptoms that affect your day-to-day. Recognizing possible signs you need anxiety medication is crucial if you hope to prevent it from wreaking further havoc on your life.

Only a qualified healthcare professional can officially diagnose anxiety. Your doctor or therapist will determine the severity of your anxiety symptoms and recommend an anxiety treatment plan. Sometimes, anti-anxiety medication is a logical part of treatment, but how do you know if it’s right for you? In this article, we’ll cover some signs that may indicate you do need anxiety medication.

How to Know If You Need Anxiety Medication

Determining how to know if you need anxiety meds can be overwhelming. Recognizing the signs that anti-anxiety medication might help can be the beginning of your journey. 

Remember that only a qualified healthcare professional can determine whether anxiety medications might help you, but if you’re experiencing any of the following, reach out to your doctor or therapist to start the process. 

1. You constantly feel overwhelmed by worry

Anxiety isn’t the same as having a bad day or just being stressed out. It’s more like you’re on edge all the time, like a persistent sense of dread that turns even simple everyday tasks into burdens that feel impossible to overcome. Anxiety can cause you to catastrophize future situations. 

If you’re having constant feelings of dread or uncontrollable worry, it might be a sign that you have generalized anxiety disorder, and medication can help.

2. You experience frequent anxiety attacks

Anxiety attacks can come out of nowhere. Your heart can pound, you might feel out of breath or dizzy, or you may experience intense fear or discomfort. Episodes can be terrifying, but unfortunately, panic attacks are common with anxiety disorders. 

While they can be different for everyone, some symptoms of a panic attack include: 

• Irregular heartbeat
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling like you’re losing control

Some panic attacks can be so intense they feel like you’re having a heart attack. 

If you’re experiencing frequent anxiety attacks, reach out to your doctor or a mental health provider. Medication can be a very effective tool to control unwanted panic attacks in some people.

3. You have trouble sleeping due to anxiety

Difficulty sleeping is a common symptom of anxiety. Research indicates that sleep disturbances are prevalent in people living with anxiety disorders. Being anxious can bring on insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns. In turn, not sleeping can leave you feeling exhausted, exacerbating your anxiety. 

“An anxious brain can mean not sleeping and cause cardiac, gastrointestinal, and endocrine problems. Never underestimate a good night’s sleep to be healthy.”

– Talkspace psychiatrist Dr. Muhammad Munir

Sleep is vital to maintaining mental health. If your sleep anxiety is keeping you up at night, it’s essential to find tools that can help reduce your worry and improve your sleep hygiene. For some people, this might mean medication.

4. You avoid everyday activities due to fear

Living with an anxiety disorder can create fear in every aspect of your life. It can turn ordinary activities into nerve-racking experiences that are hard to face. You might avoid something as simple as going to the grocery store. You may dread social events — even ones you once looked forward to. 

If your heart starts racing or your palms start sweating at just the thought of doing everyday acts, remember that the avoidance you’re experiencing isn’t necessarily about suddenly being shy or becoming an introvert. 

Excessive and irrational dread about normal situations can be symptoms of an anxiety disorder. Your doctor can help determine if your feelings are irrational and if medication might be an effective part of your treatment plan. 

5. You experience physical symptoms of anxiety

There are numerous physical signs you need anxiety medication. Some common physical manifestations of anxiety can include:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Muscle tension
• Dizziness
• Irregular heartbeat
• Dry mouth
• Shortness of breath
• Excessive sweating

If symptoms continue or worsen, you can try self-help tools like mindfulness meditation, working out, journaling for anxiety, or therapy in addition to medication.

6. Your anxiety interferes with work or relationships

Severe anxiety can negatively impact your professional life and personal relationships. Anxiety makes it hard to focus on or keep up with responsibilities, and taking part in social activities can become unbearable. 

Over time, anxiety can create conflict and misunderstandings with those who don’t understand what you’re going through. Fortunately, there are proven treatments — including medication — that can treat symptoms of anxiety to make life more manageable.

If you’re dealing with anxiety at work or in your personal relationships, you might want to consider medication.

7. You feel restless and unable to relax

Anxiety can make you feel like you’re always on edge, unable to sit still, relax, or focus on the task at hand. While from the outside, this might look like restlessness or hyperactivity, research suggests there’s a link between fidgeting and anxiety. 

A ceaseless restlessness can make even basic chores and tasks difficult. Medication can help calm the urge to fidget so you can concentrate better and feel calmer. 

8. You experience irrational fears or phobias

Ongoing phobias can leave you wondering if you should take anxiety medication. Irrational thoughts can cause a near-constant state of impending doom and dread. Fear can impact relationships, job performance, and the ability to function in general.  

This is more than just a fleeting worry or thoughts about the potential of something terrible happening — it’s an unshakeable belief that danger is inevitable. Medication can be one part of your treatment plan that helps you manage irrational fear that’s preventing you from living life to its fullest. 

9. You’ve tried other treatments without success

Many people end up trying multiple treatments before finding what’s most effective in managing anxiety. Often, it’s a combination of treatment strategies that ends up offering the most benefits.  

If you’ve been struggling to find the right treatment plan but just haven’t found the perfect solution, don’t lose hope. Medication — either on its own or in combination with therapy and other tools — might be the final piece of the puzzle that helps you get your anxiety in a manageable place. 

“If therapy is not relieving anxiety, a combination with medication to address anxiety is necessary to avoid further medical complications and impact on functioning.”

– Talkspace psychiatrist Dr. Muhammad Munir

The Role of Medication in Managing Anxiety

Medication can play a vital role in managing your symptoms of anxiety, especially if other treatment options you’ve tried haven’t been effective. Adding the right drug to the equation can regulate brain chemistry, ultimately reducing or eliminating intensity and severity of symptoms.

There are different types of medications for anxiety. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and benzodiazepines (commonly known as “benzos”) are two examples. Both medications work by balancing chemical levels in the brain. 

• SSRIs are the most prescribed anxiety medication. A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor works by raising serotonin levels in the brain, a neurotransmitter associated with mood control, so you feel more peaceful. 

• Benzodiazepines work fast to reduce symptoms of severe anxiety, but they’re generally only taken short-term due to their dependency risk.

Other medications a doctor may want to try as part of your treatment plan can include:

• Antidepressants
• Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
• Buspirone
• Bupropion
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
• Beta-blockers

Your doctor or mental health provider will closely monitor any medication you take for your anxiety. Medication tends to work best when it’s just one part of a complete and comprehensive treatment plan that includes self-help tools and therapy for anxiety. 

Is Taking Anxiety Medication Worth It?

When considering whether taking anxiety medication is worth it, it’s essential to weigh the benefits against the potential risks, including common side effects. For many individuals with generalized anxiety disorder, prescription medication can significantly improve daily functioning and quality of life. However, this decision should always be made in consultation with a mental health professional.

Medication can be especially beneficial when anxiety symptoms are severe enough to interfere with daily life or when other treatment options have not provided sufficient relief. In such cases, treatments like antidepressant medication and SNRIs can help restore a sense of normalcy, making everyday tasks more manageable.

Ultimately, taking anxiety medication can be a valuable part of a comprehensive treatment plan, especially when combined with therapy and other supportive measures.

Get Prescribed Anxiety Medication with Talkspace

If your anxiety has become too much to manage on your own and you’ve found yourself wondering if you need anxiety medication, reach out today to start the process of getting help. Talkspace is an online platform that makes getting anxiety medication easy.

Talkspace connects you directly with online psychiatrists or psychiatric providers who can assess your condition and symptoms and, when appropriate, prescribe appropriate medication.

Talkspace’s online platform helps you get access to mental health professionals from the comfort of your own home. Remember, getting help isn’t a sign of weakness — it shows courage and willingness to address and improve your mental health. Take charge of your anxiety by getting started today.

Sources:

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2. Bandelow B, Michaelis S. Epidemiology of Anxiety Disorders in the 21st Century. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. 2015;17(3):327-335. doi:10.31887/dcns.2015.17.3/bbandelow. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4610617/. Accessed December 9, 2023.

3. Staner L. Sleep and anxiety disorders. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. 2003;5(3):249-258. doi:10.31887/dcns.2003.5.3/lstaner. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181635/. Accessed December 9, 2023. 

4. Thompson T, Van Zalk N, Marshall C, Sargeant M, Stubbs B. Social anxiety increases visible anxiety signs during social encounters but does not impair performance. BMC Psychology. 2019;7(1). doi:10.1186/s40359-019-0300-5. https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-019-0300-5. Accessed December 9, 2023.