Does a psychiatrist ever treat anxiety without antidepressants?

[dan G]

I've always had anxiety throughout my life, but lately it is getting worse. I have the symptoms of an anxiety disorder.

My primary doc wrote me a prescription for Xanax - 0.50 mg up to twice a day as needed.... 20 of these last me 30 days so I am not very dependent on the drug. It's been several days at this point since I've taken one. I only have 1 refill left, and my Doc told me he would not refill them, that I needed to seek a mental health professional. I feel Xanax has been extremely useful in times that my baseline anxiety comes to the surface.

I'd like to see a psych but I do not want to take antidepressants. I've had bad reactions to 3 different kinds in the distant past, and have no wish to relive those reactions.

Do psychiatrists ever manage anxiety disorders without antidepressants? I don't want to go if he's just going to whip out the prescription pad for some antidepressant I haven't tried yet. Or, should I find a new primary care dr who feels ok bout Xanax?

[Matthew Corbett]

Overall no they dont Psychiatrists main form of treatment is prescribing medication end of, its phycologists who deal with the talking therapys

[KOOLDOWN]

Yes. Threre are pschycotherapies like cognitive and behavoural approches. You should try them.

[majnun99]

Xanax is a drug of potential abuse, so doctors are going to be very careful about prescribing it because they may loose their licenses.

There are many medications, there will probably be something that works and is not as strong as Xanax.

If you go to the doctor and say "but I want Xanax", the doctor is likely to suspect you of being a drug abuser.