Reddit reviews How to Stay Sane

Exactly this. I think I'm quite well placed to see both sides as someone who has suffered anxiety at times, a drugs enthusiast and a psychotherapist in training.

The band-aid (or plaster as I would say :) comment is bang on, it is a short term solution (solution isn't really the right word) which I think is only really useful as a crutch if you're not quite ready to deal with the real issues. Ideally you need to explore the root causes and of course I would suggest finding a good therapist to do this.

In addition, as restlessm1nd mentions in his excellent post, exercise. It genuinely is like a miracle medicine. You really need to tackle these issues from all angels to really irradiate them for a happy, balanced life. Forcing yourself to be social, particularly in new surroundings is also great and if you can do that in conjunction with something worth while like volunteering for a good cause and it does wonders for self esteem and in turn anxiety. Also you constantly need to test yourself mentally by learning new skills for mental well being, that could be learning a new language or instrument or studying an interesting subject.

By all means try medicating as well to act as a buffer to get yourself doing these things but think of them more like armbands to get you swimming and the actual act of swimming where the real benefit it. Talking of which, open water swimming in a cold lake or sea, nothing quite like it for good mental health.

May I recommend this book too: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Stay-Sane-School-Life/dp/1447202309

Good luck.

"THE CURIOUS PARADOX IS THAT WHEN I ACCEPT MYSELF JUST AS I AM, THEN I CHANGE."
~CARL ROGERS (benzos won't help there, all the other stuff will)