[Oxy Moron™]

First, I'd like to thank everyone in advance for reading this thread and possibly responding to it. This is an issue I've found myself pondering several times and I'd FINALLY like to understand the differences between the medications I have/are being prescribed.

Second, here's the synopsis: many years ago I was diagnosed with G.A.D. (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). I'm not really sure WHY considering I'm a very out-going and talkative person and rarely feel anxious around others...even individuals I don't know and/or have never met. I DO, however, suffer from anxiety in itself. More often than not, my anxiety (consisting of increase in heart rate, perspiration, increase in blood pressure and sometimes even some fear) is brought on by an increase in my chronic low back pain (Degenerative Disc Disease, Failed Back Surgery Syndrome, chronic right-sided neuropathy, etc).

Throughout these last three or four years, I've been prescribed several different S.S.R.I. (Selective Serotonin ReUptake Inhibitors) medications to treat my anxiety...all with little to no positive effect. These medications include:

1. Zoloft
2. Paxil
3. Cymbalta
4. Presently: Celexa

Even though I DO notice changes in my overall mood, most of the time these medications calm me down, which I believe interferes with my natural personality. I find it hard to believe that my anxiety (again, brought on by increased pain/discomfort) is just a part of who I am.

Questions-At-Hand: if all the above-listed medications are used to treat several anxiety disorders, why don't I see a change in said anxiety? Also, what are the significant differences between those medications? Not to include Celexa (which I have just started and was just recently placed on a higher dosage ~ 20mg to 40mg/daily), I have been on decently moderate doses of those medications so I don't believe under-dosing was an issue.

Lastly, I HAVE noticed significant lowering of my anxiety when taking anti-anxiety medications such as Xanax and Valium (Benzodiazepines) but over the years I have come to the conclusion that most doctors prefer to prescribe S.S.R.I.'s over Benzo's to treat anxiety, EVEN when considering that my anxiety is caused by the presence of another medical condition.

Thank you all for reading this extremely long book Any information, suggestions, comments and/or questions are VERY welcome!!!