Final answer:
The question asks for a promising new drug for social anxiety disorder or panic disorder, and the correct answer is SSRIs, such as sertraline, which help increase serotonin levels to alleviate anxiety.The correct option is C.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is about identifying a promising new drug for the treatment of social anxiety disorder or panic disorder. Among the options provided, SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, represent a class of drugs that is commonly used for treating these conditions. SSRIs such as sertraline increase the levels of serotonin in the central nervous system by blocking the reuptake of serotonin into the presynaptic neuron. This heightened level of serotonin in the synaptic cleft can help alleviate anxiety and panic symptoms. Benzodiazepines are another option, which can quickly quell panic attacks and help with short-term anxiety management, but they are usually not the first line of treatment due to their addiction potential and side effects.
Beta-blockers, on the other hand, are often used to manage the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as trembling and rapid heartbeat, but they do not treat the underlying anxiety itself. Examples of sertraline and other SSRIs include Fluoxetine (Prozac), Paroxetine (Paxil), and Escitalopram (Lexapro). In ambiguous cases like the one presented in the question, SSRIs are generally regarded as the preferred first-line treatment for social anxiety disorder and panic disorder, making choice C) SSRIs the correct answer.