When should one begin taking anti-anxiety medication?

Anxiety is a very common condition that can range greatly in terms of severity, frequency and its impact on daily living. Like many other medical conditions, anxiety can be a crippling illness that can affect one's ability to carry out routine tasks and one's relationships with other individuals. Fortunately, medication and counseling have been shown to be very effective in helping to lessen the degree to which anxiety impacts one's life. If your anxiety has progressed to the point where you cannot leave your house and are feeling "totally crippled," then it seems that you are certainly a candidate to begin treatment, whether through psychiatric counseling, medication that you may take daily, or medication that you may take on an "as needed" basis for severe attacks. It would be advisable for you to contact your primary care physician, who can begin to address your issues of anxiety and refer you to an appropriate counselor or psychiatrist. You may find that it takes several weeks to months to truly notice a difference in the way that you can control your anxiety, but you may find that your life changes dramatically for the better after initiating treatment.