I was working for a crim firm but will soon switch (too much stress, not enough $).
I know nothing of Buspar. I used to take Lorazepam when I was diagnosed with mere anxiety before I developed panic disorder/agoraphobia. It was a bad idea--DO NOT take Ativan before an exam--it will make you slow, sluggish, and even cause panic. At least that's what it did to me. I was dumb enough to take it before the LSAT and as a result I had a (small) panic during the first section. The problem is that the drug makes you tired. I find that when I'm in a stressful situation, like an exam, but am too tired to "fight" or take "flight", I feel helpless and this causes me to panic. In other words, Ativan actually worsened my exam anxiety.
Paxil, however, completely wiped out my panic attacks (after it started to kick in--within 4 weeks) and it sharply reduced my general level of anxiety. It is a drug you take every day regardless of whether or not you feel anxious. It changes the chemistry of your brain. You become a different person. You feel great, even a little high, as long as you're on the stuff. You have the confidence to do things you couldn't do before. When anxiety kicks in, it hits a plateau before it has the chance to become panic (this feels kind of strange, but it's a lot better than a panic attack). However, if you do end up trying Paxil (or another SSRI such as Prozac or Zoloft) don't stay on it too long. I suggest you read the book [u]Prozac Backlash[/u]by Joseph Glenmullen--it provides some disturbing evidence that SSRI's cause brain damage (not a great thing to have in the legal profession!) and that it has troublesome similarities to cocaine.
