should I try medication to treat my anxiety?

[gabname20]

Hi, I have had anxiety since childhood. I was treated when I was in grade school because it got to the point that I refused to go to school. Flash forward  8 years and it has resurfaced. Though I've been diagnosed with anxiety since childhood I have not wanted to go on medication, and instead looked to exercise, breathing practices, and meditation. Presently, those things haven't helped and my anxiety/ general state of being has worsened. I can't sleep at night, I keep on thinking I'm hearing ghosts (though I know i'm not), I get nervous every time I'm in a car or train because I'm afraid of getting into an accident, and i get spooked SOOO easily. I'm aware lots of these phobias are stupid (and irrational), but they really get in the way of me trying to enjoy life! I'm approaching my senior year of high school and want to get this whole situation squared away before college, so I'm just wondering if anyone has advice regarding medication: whether I should go on it, which meds I should try, or just go back to therapy... thanks

[Paxiled]

If you're still functioning okay, I'd stay away from medication.  At your age, your brain is still developing, and these drugs were never approved for young people for that reason.  It's legal to use them because doctors are allowed to use any approved drug for anything they want, but it's not the best thing to do unless absolutely necessary.  That's actually also true for adults, but even more so for you.  Also know that generally, childhood fears are not the same as adult anxiety.  Every child has fears, but almost all of us grow out of it, as you did, and if it comes back during adulthood it's for different reasons.  The only exception is if something traumatic happened to you as a child that brought it on, and if it was never resolved, as you age and life gets more challenging, it can spring up again.  I don't know if that's your situation, but my recommendation is if it's getting bad, see a psychologist who specializes in anxiety treatment -- most don't, and most patients don't know that and can waste a lot of time chatting.  If you keep getting worse to the point your life becomes too much for you, your psychologist will tell you to see a psychiatrist and try medication -- it isn't going anywhere.  As for which meds, no one can tell you that or help you with that.  What works for one doesn't work for another; our systems metabolize drugs differently and respond to them differently.  Just know that medication can be very difficult to take and stop taking, but if you get to the point where you really really need it, then you need it.  A therapist, as I say, can help you with that decision.  Good luck.