QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
Do you think they are any closer to coming up with a cure for GAD?
ANSWER:
The GAD is mostly a genetic disorder, especially the cognitive component (mind always going, persistent worry). BuSpar is a very effective medicine for the GAD, although many patients erroneously consider it ineffective because it doesn’t make all their anxiety disorders go away. Other medications can help such as Paxil, Effexor and the benzodiazepines. There’s a great deal of work being done on genetics and I would expect that someday a cure will be developed. This day is likely a long way off, however. For now the best treatment is medications.