When anxiety is moderate to severe or herbal medicines are ineffective, synthetic antidepressants may be necessary. Anti-depressants can be effective for 60 to 80 percent of those with panic attacks or other anxiety disorders.

The drugs proven to be most effective in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are four antidepressants—Anafranil (clomipramine), Luvox (fluvox), Prozac (fluoxetine), and Zoloft (sertraline). There has been no research on herbal treatment for OCD.

There are roughly a dozen antidepressants from which to choose if synthetic antidepressants are prescribed. None are addictive or habit-forming. Antidepressant medications are usually taken for two to three weeks before benefits are derived.