Anxiety is the leading clinically diagnosable mental health
disorder – it affects millions of people. Everyone
experiences a little anxiety in life. It can be necessary
and a motivator to help us make plans and perform well.
However, anxiety disrupts the everyday life of millions of
people. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, anxiety
disorder is the most common mental health problem in the
United States. Almost 19 million Americans (aged 18 to 54)
suffer from some anxiety disorder each year, according to a
analysis by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Anxiety disorders are primarily on overwhelming fear.
Everyone experiences the tingle of fear and anxiety,
especially when encountering an anxiety provoking experience
like public speaking or a first date. However, the
difference of an anxiety disorder is the difference between
an occasional feeling of apprehension and a constant and
dominating force in your life. If anxiety is all consuming,
it is a disorder and you need to take steps to correct it.

One of the best known forms of anxiety disorders is a Panic
attack. During a Panic attach, the person is suffering from
a panic attack experiences a racing heart with pain, or a
heaviness in the chest with shortness of breath. Generalized
anxiety disorder is another common form, characterized by a
persistent and excessive worrying which occurs longer than
six months and is accompanied by symptoms like insomnia,
muscle tension, poor concentration, and irritability. Those
suffering from general anxiety usually don't experience
panic attacks, but it can still be incapacitating. The
endless anxiety reduces energy, causes disinterest in life
and frequent mood swings. Other forms of anxiety disorders
include social anxiety, phobias, obsessive-compulsive
disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorders.

Diagnosing these disorders is not easy as they incorporate
brain functions and there is still a lot to be learned about
them. No one in the medical profession has yet learned why a
particular person's fear response is amplified so much more
than another's. Researchers do know that five
neurotransmitters become disturbed in these disorders and
medications have been developed to treat them. They include
anti-depressants and anti- anxiety drugs.

Thankfully there are a number of options for treating and
even curing anxiety disorders. Western medicine relies on
medications and psychotherapy. Some people see two
practitioners: a psychologist to counsel with, and a
psychiatrist for prescription medication. This combination
of treatments can be quite effective. Tranquilizers from the
class called "benzodiazepines" are often prescribed and
often work quite well. Some of these brand names are Xanax,
Valium, and Ativan and they help those suffering from panic
and anxiety. Most of these aren't to be used for the
long-term. Anti-depressants have proven more effective for
those with acute anxiety disorders. The best ones seem to be
the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) s. Some
of these are Celexa, Zoloft, Prozac, and Paxil.

There are a number of alternative medicines being practiced
today and some people prefer not to take pharmaceuticals. If
you are in this category it may take trial and error as well
as time and patience to find relief. Cognitive Behavior
Therapy (CBT) is an approach that zeroes in on the thought
processes that cause us to worry. Its goal is to help
separate realistic thoughts from those that are overblown.
Some other things to try are relaxation training,
desensitization, breathing, meditating, acupuncture,
homeopathy, and biofeedback. Massage therapy, chiropractics,
and just walking can also be of help.