Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAntidepressants and AnxietyEmotionalPhysicalSocialHelping Others

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Antidepressants and Anxiety

Emotional

Physical

Social

Helping Others

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Although they are often used to treat anxiety,antidepressants can potentially cause anxiety, especially when people begin taking them for depression.By using various strategies, it is possible to get a better handle on these anxiety symptoms.

Some strategies you can try on your own; others may require working with your healthcare provider. There are also strategies that are helpful to family and friends who want to support a loved one who is coping with antidepressant-related anxiety.

Reasons for Anxiety When You Start Your Meds

The reason for heightened anxiety symptoms may be related to the levels of the neurotransmitterserotonin. Low serotonin in the brain is thought to play an important role in causing both depression and anxiety. It is also believed that fluctuating serotonin levels during the early days of treatment might be the reason that some people feel anxiety as anantidepressant side effect.

A 2014 study revealed that, after taking antidepressants for one month, approximately 7% of the participants developed antidepressant-inducedjitteriness syndrome(or anxiety syndrome).Individuals experiencing this response may notice not only symptoms of anxiety but also an increase in:

Do Antidepressants Work?

It is important to recognize that these emotional changes don’t mean that you’ve developed a new mental health condition. It simply means that your body has either not yet adjusted to the new antidepressant or that the medication may need to be tweaked to reduce the anxiety response.

Talking with your doctor is the first step to deciding whether any changes need to be made to your antidepressant or if feelings of anxiety will get better over time. If the doctor determines that a change needs to be made, the following approaches are a few potential options:

Warning!You should not, however, stop taking your medication or change your dosage without first consulting with your doctor. Rapidly stopping your antidepressant may result in uncomfortablediscontinuation symptomsor the reemergence of depression.Your doctor can best advise you on what to do to avoid this problem.

Warning!

You should not, however, stop taking your medication or change your dosage without first consulting with your doctor. Rapidly stopping your antidepressant may result in uncomfortablediscontinuation symptomsor the reemergence of depression.Your doctor can best advise you on what to do to avoid this problem.

You should not, however, stop taking your medication or change your dosage without first consulting with your doctor. Rapidly stopping your antidepressant may result in uncomfortablediscontinuation symptomsor the reemergence of depression.

Your doctor can best advise you on what to do to avoid this problem.

Anxiety felt while taking an antidepressant is generally mild. In addition, it will most likely get better in time as your body becomes more adjusted to the medication.

Anti-Anxiety Medication and Other Coping Strategies

There are several proactive ways to cope with increased anxiety:

Recommended Amount of Physical ActivityThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that most adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.If this seems overwhelming, it may help to break it down into more manageable chunks. Aim to do 10 minutes of exercise three times a day.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that most adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.If this seems overwhelming, it may help to break it down into more manageable chunks. Aim to do 10 minutes of exercise three times a day.

Search your local area to find any anxiety support groups close to you. There are also a variety ofonline anxiety support groupsavailable. Check a few out to see what you think. It is important to find one that is accessible when you need it and makes you feel comfortable and welcome.

Resources & OrganizationsThe Anxiety and Depression Association of America offers helpfulonline resources. Based on your specific situation, you can choose the resources most applicable to you.

Resources & Organizations

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America offers helpfulonline resources. Based on your specific situation, you can choose the resources most applicable to you.

If you find that your anxiety is not getting better or isgetting worse—especially if you are experiencing certain other symptoms likemania, worsening depression, or suicidal thoughts—do not hesitate to contact your physician or seek emergency help.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Caregiving & Helping Others

Watching someone you love deal with feelings of anxiety can be difficult. Johns Hopkins Medicine shares that there are a few things you can do to help.One of the first steps is to recognize thesigns of anxiety. They may exhibit physical and emotional symptoms, including:

Once you recognize their anxiety, ask themhow you can best support them with this feeling. Let them tell you what they need to feel less anxious. Maybe they would like to take a walk or air out their feelings for a minute. At the same time, validate their anxiety, acknowledging that it is a fairly common side effect when you start antidepressants, and express your concern in a positive way.

It can also be helpful to acknowledge what you don’t understand about anxiety and encourage them to seek further assistance from a support group or their healthcare provider.Be there for them while they work through their anxiety.

Press Play for Advice On Dealing With Caregiver Stress

13 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Li Z, Pfeiffer P, Hoggatt K, et al.Emergent anxiety after antidepressant initiation: A retrospective cohort study of Veterans Affairs Health System patients with depression.Clin Ther. 2011;33(12):1985-1992.e1. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2011.11.010Santarsieri D, Schwartz TL.Antidepressant efficacy and side-effect burden: A quick guide for clinicians.Drugs Context. 2015;4:212290. doi:10.7573/dic.212290Harada T, Inada K, Yamada K, Sakamoto K, Ishigooka J.A prospective naturalistic study of antidepressant-induced jitteriness/anxiety syndrome.Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2014;10:2115-2121. doi:10.2147/NDT.S70637Johnson CF, Williams B, Macgillivray SA, Dougall NJ, Maxwell M. ‘Doing the right thing’: Factors influencing GP prescribing of antidepressants and prescribed doses.BMC Fam Pract. 2017;18(1):72. doi:10.1186/s12875-017-0643-zHarvard Health Publishing.Benzodiazepines (and the alternatives).Keks N, Hope J, Keogh S.Switching and stopping antidepressants.Aust Prescr. 2016;39(3):76-83. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2016.039Gollan JK, Fava M, Kurian B, et al.What are the clinical implications of new onset or worsening anxiety during the first two weeks of SSRI treatment for depression?Depress Anxiety. 2012;29(2):94-101. doi:10.1002/da.20917Murphy M, Mercer J.Diet-regulated anxiety.Int J Endocrinol. 2013;2013:701967. doi:10.1155/2013/701967Stonerock GL, Hoffman BM, Smith PJ, Blumenthal JA.Exercise as treatment for anxiety: Systematic review and analysis.Ann Behav Med. 2015;49(4):542-556. doi:10.1007/s12160-014-9685-9Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult activity: An overview.Johns Hopkins Medicine.How to help someone with anxiety.National Institute on Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Spouse or partner.Additional ReadingAlbert PR, Benkelfat C.The neurobiology of depression–revisiting the serotonin hypothesis. II. Genetic, epigenetic and clinical studies.Philos Trans R Soc Lond, B, Biol Sci. 2013;368(1615):20120535. doi:10.1098/rstb.2012.0535Amitai, M., Chen, A., Weizman, A.et al.SSRI-Induced activation syndrome in children and adolescents—What is next?Curr Treat Options Psych. 2015;2,28-37. doi:10.1007/s40501-015-0034-9Ho D.Antidepressants and the FDA’s black-box warning: Determining a rational public policy in the absence of sufficient evidence.Virtual Mentor.2012;14(6):483-488. doi:10.1001/virtualmentor.2012.14.6.pfor2-1206.Sinclair LI, Christmas DM, Hood SD, et al.Antidepressant-induced jitteriness/anxiety syndrome: systematic review.Br J Psychiatry. 2009;194(6):483-90. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.107.048371

13 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Li Z, Pfeiffer P, Hoggatt K, et al.Emergent anxiety after antidepressant initiation: A retrospective cohort study of Veterans Affairs Health System patients with depression.Clin Ther. 2011;33(12):1985-1992.e1. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2011.11.010Santarsieri D, Schwartz TL.Antidepressant efficacy and side-effect burden: A quick guide for clinicians.Drugs Context. 2015;4:212290. doi:10.7573/dic.212290Harada T, Inada K, Yamada K, Sakamoto K, Ishigooka J.A prospective naturalistic study of antidepressant-induced jitteriness/anxiety syndrome.Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2014;10:2115-2121. doi:10.2147/NDT.S70637Johnson CF, Williams B, Macgillivray SA, Dougall NJ, Maxwell M. ‘Doing the right thing’: Factors influencing GP prescribing of antidepressants and prescribed doses.BMC Fam Pract. 2017;18(1):72. doi:10.1186/s12875-017-0643-zHarvard Health Publishing.Benzodiazepines (and the alternatives).Keks N, Hope J, Keogh S.Switching and stopping antidepressants.Aust Prescr. 2016;39(3):76-83. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2016.039Gollan JK, Fava M, Kurian B, et al.What are the clinical implications of new onset or worsening anxiety during the first two weeks of SSRI treatment for depression?Depress Anxiety. 2012;29(2):94-101. doi:10.1002/da.20917Murphy M, Mercer J.Diet-regulated anxiety.Int J Endocrinol. 2013;2013:701967. doi:10.1155/2013/701967Stonerock GL, Hoffman BM, Smith PJ, Blumenthal JA.Exercise as treatment for anxiety: Systematic review and analysis.Ann Behav Med. 2015;49(4):542-556. doi:10.1007/s12160-014-9685-9Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult activity: An overview.Johns Hopkins Medicine.How to help someone with anxiety.National Institute on Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Spouse or partner.Additional ReadingAlbert PR, Benkelfat C.The neurobiology of depression–revisiting the serotonin hypothesis. II. Genetic, epigenetic and clinical studies.Philos Trans R Soc Lond, B, Biol Sci. 2013;368(1615):20120535. doi:10.1098/rstb.2012.0535Amitai, M., Chen, A., Weizman, A.et al.SSRI-Induced activation syndrome in children and adolescents—What is next?Curr Treat Options Psych. 2015;2,28-37. doi:10.1007/s40501-015-0034-9Ho D.Antidepressants and the FDA’s black-box warning: Determining a rational public policy in the absence of sufficient evidence.Virtual Mentor.2012;14(6):483-488. doi:10.1001/virtualmentor.2012.14.6.pfor2-1206.Sinclair LI, Christmas DM, Hood SD, et al.Antidepressant-induced jitteriness/anxiety syndrome: systematic review.Br J Psychiatry. 2009;194(6):483-90. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.107.048371

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Li Z, Pfeiffer P, Hoggatt K, et al.Emergent anxiety after antidepressant initiation: A retrospective cohort study of Veterans Affairs Health System patients with depression.Clin Ther. 2011;33(12):1985-1992.e1. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2011.11.010Santarsieri D, Schwartz TL.Antidepressant efficacy and side-effect burden: A quick guide for clinicians.Drugs Context. 2015;4:212290. doi:10.7573/dic.212290Harada T, Inada K, Yamada K, Sakamoto K, Ishigooka J.A prospective naturalistic study of antidepressant-induced jitteriness/anxiety syndrome.Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2014;10:2115-2121. doi:10.2147/NDT.S70637Johnson CF, Williams B, Macgillivray SA, Dougall NJ, Maxwell M. ‘Doing the right thing’: Factors influencing GP prescribing of antidepressants and prescribed doses.BMC Fam Pract. 2017;18(1):72. doi:10.1186/s12875-017-0643-zHarvard Health Publishing.Benzodiazepines (and the alternatives).Keks N, Hope J, Keogh S.Switching and stopping antidepressants.Aust Prescr. 2016;39(3):76-83. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2016.039Gollan JK, Fava M, Kurian B, et al.What are the clinical implications of new onset or worsening anxiety during the first two weeks of SSRI treatment for depression?Depress Anxiety. 2012;29(2):94-101. doi:10.1002/da.20917Murphy M, Mercer J.Diet-regulated anxiety.Int J Endocrinol. 2013;2013:701967. doi:10.1155/2013/701967Stonerock GL, Hoffman BM, Smith PJ, Blumenthal JA.Exercise as treatment for anxiety: Systematic review and analysis.Ann Behav Med. 2015;49(4):542-556. doi:10.1007/s12160-014-9685-9Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult activity: An overview.Johns Hopkins Medicine.How to help someone with anxiety.National Institute on Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Spouse or partner.

Li Z, Pfeiffer P, Hoggatt K, et al.Emergent anxiety after antidepressant initiation: A retrospective cohort study of Veterans Affairs Health System patients with depression.Clin Ther. 2011;33(12):1985-1992.e1. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2011.11.010

Santarsieri D, Schwartz TL.Antidepressant efficacy and side-effect burden: A quick guide for clinicians.Drugs Context. 2015;4:212290. doi:10.7573/dic.212290

Harada T, Inada K, Yamada K, Sakamoto K, Ishigooka J.A prospective naturalistic study of antidepressant-induced jitteriness/anxiety syndrome.Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2014;10:2115-2121. doi:10.2147/NDT.S70637

Johnson CF, Williams B, Macgillivray SA, Dougall NJ, Maxwell M. ‘Doing the right thing’: Factors influencing GP prescribing of antidepressants and prescribed doses.BMC Fam Pract. 2017;18(1):72. doi:10.1186/s12875-017-0643-z

Harvard Health Publishing.Benzodiazepines (and the alternatives).

Keks N, Hope J, Keogh S.Switching and stopping antidepressants.Aust Prescr. 2016;39(3):76-83. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2016.039

Gollan JK, Fava M, Kurian B, et al.What are the clinical implications of new onset or worsening anxiety during the first two weeks of SSRI treatment for depression?Depress Anxiety. 2012;29(2):94-101. doi:10.1002/da.20917

Murphy M, Mercer J.Diet-regulated anxiety.Int J Endocrinol. 2013;2013:701967. doi:10.1155/2013/701967

Stonerock GL, Hoffman BM, Smith PJ, Blumenthal JA.Exercise as treatment for anxiety: Systematic review and analysis.Ann Behav Med. 2015;49(4):542-556. doi:10.1007/s12160-014-9685-9

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult activity: An overview.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.How to help someone with anxiety.

National Institute on Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.

Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Spouse or partner.

Albert PR, Benkelfat C.The neurobiology of depression–revisiting the serotonin hypothesis. II. Genetic, epigenetic and clinical studies.Philos Trans R Soc Lond, B, Biol Sci. 2013;368(1615):20120535. doi:10.1098/rstb.2012.0535Amitai, M., Chen, A., Weizman, A.et al.SSRI-Induced activation syndrome in children and adolescents—What is next?Curr Treat Options Psych. 2015;2,28-37. doi:10.1007/s40501-015-0034-9Ho D.Antidepressants and the FDA’s black-box warning: Determining a rational public policy in the absence of sufficient evidence.Virtual Mentor.2012;14(6):483-488. doi:10.1001/virtualmentor.2012.14.6.pfor2-1206.Sinclair LI, Christmas DM, Hood SD, et al.Antidepressant-induced jitteriness/anxiety syndrome: systematic review.Br J Psychiatry. 2009;194(6):483-90. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.107.048371

Albert PR, Benkelfat C.The neurobiology of depression–revisiting the serotonin hypothesis. II. Genetic, epigenetic and clinical studies.Philos Trans R Soc Lond, B, Biol Sci. 2013;368(1615):20120535. doi:10.1098/rstb.2012.0535

Amitai, M., Chen, A., Weizman, A.et al.SSRI-Induced activation syndrome in children and adolescents—What is next?Curr Treat Options Psych. 2015;2,28-37. doi:10.1007/s40501-015-0034-9

Ho D.Antidepressants and the FDA’s black-box warning: Determining a rational public policy in the absence of sufficient evidence.Virtual Mentor.2012;14(6):483-488. doi:10.1001/virtualmentor.2012.14.6.pfor2-1206.

Sinclair LI, Christmas DM, Hood SD, et al.Antidepressant-induced jitteriness/anxiety syndrome: systematic review.Br J Psychiatry. 2009;194(6):483-90. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.107.048371

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