Anxiety disorders seem to be epidemic in our society; affecting almost one in nine Americans and filling their lives with overwhelming fear. If we are facing an exceptionally difficult situation at work or in our private life, the stress can create anxiety, which can grow progressively worse without treatment. As there are effective treatments for the symptoms of anxiety you should always seek professional help.

Anxiety is usually divided into three main categories, general anxiety, panic disorder and phobias. Generalized anxiety disorder is emotional turmoil that seems to have a life of its own, unlike phobias or panic attacks it is not always clear what has caused the anxiety attack and with no identifiable cause the problem begins to feed off itself.

Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms include losing patience, depression, having difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, always thinking the worse will happen and becoming obsessional or preoccupied with one subject.

The physical symptoms of anxiety can include headaches, dizziness, stomach upsets, flatulence and loose bowel movements, excessive thirst, pounding heart, tremors, loss of interest in sex, painful or no periods, and pins and needles.

Counseling, psychotherapy and self-help measures should be considered for treating anxiety before you turn to drugs, as some anxiety medication can cause side effects similar to the anxiety symptoms.

So lets take a look at some of the different types of anxiety medication that you may be prescribed for the treatment of symptoms: Xanax is used to treat anxiety attacks and panic disorders caused by depression. It works by rebalancing the chemicals in the brain. This and other benzodiazepines like Librium, Valium, Serax, Tranxene and Ativan and should not be used if you are pregnant because it can cause birth defects in the baby.

You should not drink when taking Xanax as an anxiety treatment because it can intensify the effects of alcohol. Another problem with this drug is that it can be habit forming. For this reason it should never be given to anyone with a history of drug addiction. Other side effects include memory problems, dry mouth sleepiness and blurred vision.

People are sometimes surprised to find that their physician has prescribed antidepressants as an anxiety medication, but the same neurotransmitters influence both anxiety attacks and depressive conditions. These medications can be divided into three main groups: SSRI are generally prescribed, as they are considered safer. Included in this group drugs such as Paroxetine, Fluroxetine, Citralopram, Sertraline, and Fluvoxamine.

SNRI such as Effexior will need regular medical monitoring. MOI like Phenelzine Tranylaypromine are usually used as a last resort as they have more side effects.

Beta Blockers are usually used to treat a racing heart and high blood pressure, but they can be effectual with anxiety symptoms, especially if the anxiety can be pinpointed to something explicit. They will remove physical symptoms of anxiety such as tremors and palpitations.

The antihistamine Hydroxyzine can make you sleepy and so may be used in the short term to reduce anxiety around specific events. Another drug with a sedative effect is Azapirone but it can take up to six weeks before you see any improvement.

Anxiety medication often creates a breathing space that is usually enough for you to get to grips with the problem. Complementary therapy can often be beneficial and herbs like Valerian and Kava Kava are also useful in treating anxiety.

It is never advisable to self treat with an anxiety medication that you have bought from the Internet, as some of these websites are not licensed to distribute and the medications may contain dangerous ingredients, for example, samples of Xanax bought from the Internet have been found to include Haldol, which is a powerful anti-psychotic drug with dangerous side effects.