Medication does not cure anxiety disorders but often relieves symptoms. The advantage of medication is that can be easily provided by medical practitioners, but the disadvantage is that medication alone has a high relapse rate. Medications are sometimes used as the initial treatment of an anxiety disorder, or are used only if there is insufficient response to a course of psychotherapy. In research studies, it is common for patients treated with a combination of psychotherapy and medication to have better outcomes than those treated with only one or the other. The most common classes of medications used to combat anxiety disorders are antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and beta-blockers. Antidepressants are used to treat depression, but they
