Breathing Exercises vs Anxiety Medication

This is not an either/or question. Breathing exercises and medication operate through completely different mechanisms and serve different roles in anxiety management. SSRIs modulate serotonin availability over weeks. Benzodiazepines enhance GABA activity for immediate relief. Breathing exercises modulate the autonomic nervous system through vagal stimulation. They're targeting different nodes in the same network.

Where breathing exercises excel: (1) Acute situational anxiety — faster onset than SSRIs, no dependency risk unlike benzodiazepines. (2) Daily stress management — no side effects, no tolerance development, no cost. (3) Sleep onset — specific techniques rival sleep medications for mild-moderate insomnia. (4) Performance anxiety — effective without the sedation or cognitive dulling some medications cause. Where medication excels: severe anxiety disorders, panic disorder with agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder that doesn't respond to behavioral interventions alone.

The evidence-based approach: breathing exercises as first-line intervention for mild-moderate anxiety, in combination with therapy. Add medication when symptoms are severe, functional impairment is significant, or behavioral approaches alone aren't sufficient. Never discontinue prescribed medication based on breathing exercise benefits — always work with your prescribing physician. The ideal outcome is using breathing exercises to eventually reduce (not replace) medication dependence under medical supervision.