Q: I am a 33 years old emotional and sensitive man. I get unnecessarily worried on small issues and when problem get resolved I recognise myself that I was worried for nothing. Tears often come out over silly matters like my boss slightly shouting at me or arguements with colleagues. I feel stomach upset while I am tense or depressed. I have consulted with a general physician, he advised me to calm my mind and reduce my tension and prescribed Alzolam 0.5 tablet for 15 days. But it worked out only during the interim period. Please advise.

A:The good news is that you recognise that you have a problem of unnecessary and excessive worry, and possibly that it has been a part of your temperament. Yes, many individuals can suffer from these problems and get anxious and worried at the slightest reason for any and every thing, which may or may not have a bearing on them per se. Anxiety can indeed be very nerve wracking and lead to odd sensations and feelings like racing heart, drying of mouth, sweating, shaking of hands, unable to concentrate and constant worrying. Many individuals get these experiences only when thinking about certain things or sometimes even without any reason. Some can have discrete periods of anxiety while for some it is present in whatever they do and however they do. In fact, anxiety establishes a very vicious circle by anxiety - leading to decreased concentration, poor performance, increased anxiety and the cycle goes on. What is important is to break the cycle somewhere. Anxiety is best managed by a multi pronged approach of specific medications - relaxation techniques - and positive thinking changes helped by a clinical psychologist. If anxiety has been a part of the temperament, it would be best be managed by a cognitive behavioural approach adopted by a clinical psychologist. I would also recommend you to visit a psychiatrist, as there is potential to sometimes get hooked to medications like alprazolam.