Non-Addictive Anxiety Medications

Clinically reviewed by Rachel Wise, ARNP

Various nonaddictive anxiety medications can ease symptoms such as excessive fear and disproportionate worry without putting patients in danger of becoming dependent on the drugs.

Contact Time Wellness Centers today to learn more about mental health treatment in Tennessee.

Anxiety Meds and Addiction

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions in the United States and throughout the rest of the world. 

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) about 19.1% of adults in the U.S. (including 23.4% of women and 14.3% of men ages 18 and above) had some type of anxiety disorder in the previous 12 months.

Since so many people are affected, there has been an ongoing effort to develop more effective, nonaddictive anxiety medications.

Panic attacks and other acute symptoms of anxiety disorders are often treated with benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), and clonazepam (Klonopin). 

While these meds can be sources of considerable short-term relief, people who use them for an extended period may have an elevated risk of misusing and becoming addicted to them.

A February 2019 study in the journal Psychiatric Services reported that:

• About 30.6 million adults in the U.S. reported using benzos at least once in the previous 12 months. 
• About 5.3 million adults (or about 17% of all benzo users) said they had misused the drugs in some way.
• Benzo misuse was most common among people ages 18-25 and least common among those ages 65 and above.

The good news is that benzos aren’t the only pharmacological option for people who have anxiety. 

5 Non-Addictive Anxiety Medications

The list of non-addictive anxiety medications below includes three categories of drugs (SSRIs, SNRIs, and beta-blockers) and two individual meds (buspirone and gabapentin).

SSRIs

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often thought of as antidepressants. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved drugs from this category to treat three types of anxiety disorders:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
• Panic disorder
• Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)

SSRIs work by boosting the amount of serotonin in a person’s central nervous system. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is involved is several functions, including mood, cognition, sexual desire, and sleep.

Frequently prescribed SSRIs include:

• Fluoxetine (Prozac)
• Paroxetine (Paxil)
• Sertraline (Zoloft)
• Escitalopram (Lexapro)

SNRIs

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) function similarly to SSRIs, but in addition to serotonin they also increase levels of norepinephrine. 

Sometimes referred to as noradrenaline, norepinephrine affects functions such as arousal, alertness, mood, memory, and the sleep/wake cycle. This neurotransmitter also plays a key role in the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s “fight or flight” response to perceived threats. 

The FDA has approved SNRIs to treat the same three anxiety disorders that SSRIs do: GAD, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.

Commonly prescribed SNRIs include:

• Venlafaxine (Effexor)
• Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq)
• Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
• Levomilnacipran (Fetzima)

Buspirone

Buspirone is the generic version of a medication that used to be sold under the brand name BuSpar. 

Initially approved by the FDA in 1986, buspirone is mainly used to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Doctors sometimes also prescribe it on an off-label basis to treat depression or to counteract sexual dysfunction caused by SSRIs.

Experts believe that buspirone eases anxiety by balancing the levels of two chemicals, serotonin and dopamine, in a person’s system. Often described as “the feel-good hormone,” dopamine is involved with mood, pleasure, reward, motivation, and a host of other functions.

Gabapentin

Gabapentin, which is sold both as a generic and under the brand name Neurontin, was initially approved by the FDA in 1993 as a secondary medication for partial seizures.

As described in a September 2018 article in the journal Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, doctors have used gabapentin for a variety of off-label purposes, including to treat pain, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and various forms of anxiety.

The September 2018 article also noted that gabapentin appears to be most effective at alleviating conditional anxiety, such as excessive fear or worry prior to surgery or after receiving chemotherapy.

Beta-Blockers

Beta-blockers are a category of prescription meds that are primarily used to treat hypertension, coronary artery disease, and other cardiovascular concerns. They function by blocking the effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine, which in turn causes the heart to beat slower.

The FDA has not approved beta-blockers for the treatment of anxiety, though many doctors use them on an off-label basis for this purpose. They are relatively fast-acting and can begin to ease many physical symptoms of anxiety, such as racing heart rate, excessive perspiration, and trembling or shakiness, within an hour or two.

According to a January 2025 meta-analysis in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the use of beta-blockers to treat anxiety has increased in recent years, but there is “a lack of robust evidence of effectiveness.” 

The authors of this meta-analysis noted that, while beta-blockers don’t directly address the psychological impact of anxiety disorders, their ability to have a calming effect on the body may start a “positive feedback loop” that leads to improved mood and reduced nervousness.

Side Effects and Withdrawal Symptoms

Though the meds discussed above don’t pose the same risk of abuse and addiction that benzos do, that doesn’t mean that they are completely safe.

Every prescription medication can cause side effects, and many of the meds in today’s post can also trigger withdrawal symptoms if a person abruptly stops using them.

Before you take any anxiety medication or any other prescription drug, it is important to talk to your doctor about potential side effects. For those that can cause withdrawal symptoms, your doctor can set up a tapering schedule if you decide to stop using them. This will allow your body to gradually adapt to smaller amounts of the drug in your system, which may reduce or eliminate the symptoms that would occur if you quit all at once.

Learn More About Anxiety Treatment in Tennessee

Time Wellness Tennessee offers a full continuum of customized care for adults who have anxiety disorders, other mental health concerns, and co-occurring substance use disorders (addictions).

Treatment options at our centers in Chattanooga and Taft, TN, include a residential/inpatient program, partial hospitalization program (PHP), intensive outpatient program (IOP), and outpatient program (OP). A member of our team will be happy to discuss the features and benefits of each option with you and answer any questions you have about any aspect of our services.

To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.