Worrying is not generally a bad thing as it can help you solve problems and take action when needed.
But if your worrying is filled with worst-case scenarios that leaves you full of doubt that will not let up to the point you are paralyzed by it, you have a problem.
This kind of worry will drain your emotions, inflate your anxiety levels and interrupt your daily life.
Fortunately dealing with chronic worry is basically breaking a mental habit that has taken over your life.
If you are suffering from worry and anxiety you can train yourself to stay calm and improve your outlook on life.
But in the quest to break the habit, some people need to use medications to help ease the symptoms.
There are different kinds of medications that are used for anxiety disorders such as benzodiazepines, and some of the newer beta-blocker and antidepressants.
The use of these medications can be an effective relief but they are not a cure for anxiety.
These medications do not treat the underlying cause of your anxiety so once their use is stopped the symptoms will return.
When considering taking anxiety medication it is important to be aware of the risks.
Medication for anxiety can cause unpleasant side effects that can be dangerous in some cases.
Some of these medications can be habit-forming which will make it difficult to discontinue their use.
Medication might be the choice for you if your anxiety can interfere with your functionality.
On the other hand it has been shown that the use of therapy, self-help tools and exercise can help many people instead of relaying on medication without risking the side effects.
If you use self-help methods or therapy you can get to the root of your issue and use the tools available to overcome your anxiety for good.
Drug treatment can be useful but it is not the only way.
It is your choice as to whether to go the route of medication or treat your anxiety using other methods, evaluate your options to see which is best for your situation.
Anti-anxiety drugs such as tranquilizers relieve a person's anxiety by way of slowing down their central nervous system.
The calming effect of tranquilizers has made them the most prescribed type of medication for anxiety.
The most common type of anti-anxiety medication is Benzodiazepines.
The drugs that fall into this category include Xanax, Valium, Ativan and Klonopin.
These are fast acting drugs that can bring relief in about thirty minutes to one hour.
Because of their fast acting they are beneficial to someone experiencing a panic attack.
Unfortunately while they do help with anxiety they have their side effects.
While anti-anxiety drugs reduce brain activity they do have undesirable side effects.
Even on lower doses of medication you can feel sleepy, foggy brained and have some loss of coordination.
This can cause problems if you are working or going to school and especially while driving.
The medication can accumulate in your body over time because it is metabolized slowly.
What happens is you may be subject to over-sedation.
Being over-sedated can give you the appearance of being drunk.
Long term use of benzodiazepines can cause depression and high doses are thought to increase depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts.
Also while this medication relieves anxiety it also interferes with feelings of pain and pleasure.
A preferred medication would be antidepressants.
The chance for addiction and abuse is much less but they can take much longer to start reliving symptoms of anxiety, in some cases up to six weeks.
Antidepressants are not a take as needed medication so waiting for a panic attack before taking them will not help.
The more widely prescribed antidepressants are Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, Paxil and Celexa.
These medications regulate serotonin in the brain to elevate the mood.
They have been used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder.
Side effects can be dizziness, headaches, sleepiness, weight gain, upset stomach, nausea and nervousness.
Dependency is not as much as a problem but you can still suffer some withdrawal symptoms when you discontinue their use.
When deciding if your doctor should prescribe any of these medications to you keep in mind the side effects they could bring.
These medications are not a cure for your anxiety; they will only help relieve the symptoms of anxiety.
There are alternative methods that can get to the underlying reasons for your anxiety and they should be used whether you use medication or not.
Your goal is to get past your anxieties so you can again live a normal life.
Do your research and you might find you can fight this on your own or with the help of family and friends.
There are plenty of tools and programs available to help see you through.