I tried ssris for anxiety then the doctor I was seeing tried to put me clonidine three times a day but it made me too tried. the doctor had me on Lexapro and it did help until they put me on invega they took me off the Lexapro.
the doctor I am seeing now put me on a benzo but kept me at a low mg. I take .5 mgs three times a day. my brother in law was taking like 5 mgs three times a day and he became addicted and had to go to the rehab clinic.
i suggest you seriously consider relenting and going the srri route. another option which I have recently tried myself was adding on a beta blocker such as propranolol, it can have some impact on anxiety, you coule take like 80mg extended releas in the morning or whenever you wake up.