Do anxiety medications cause addiction?

There are two main groups of anxiety medications with completely different dependence profiles:

Benzodiazepines (diazepam, clonazepam, alprazolam, lorazepam): YES, they can cause dependence with prolonged use. They work quickly and are effective for acute relief, but with chronic use (weeks to months), the brain adapts, leading to tolerance (needing higher doses for the same effect) and physical dependence (withdrawal symptoms when stopped abruptly). For that reason, they are generally recommended for short-term use, and the exact prescribing rules and controlled-substance classification vary by country.

SSRIs and SNRIs (sertraline, escitalopram, fluoxetine, venlafaxine, duloxetine): these do NOT cause addiction in the pharmacological sense. There is no associated "high," no tolerance in the same sense, and no compulsive drug-seeking. But stopping abruptly can cause discontinuation syndrome (dizziness, nausea, a "brain zap" sensation), which is why they should be tapered off gradually — this is not the same thing as addiction.

Buspirone: a non-benzodiazepine anti-anxiety medication with no addiction potential, particularly useful for generalized anxiety disorder.