The anxiety epidemic: Are we overmedicating for normal angst?

The ads seem to be everywhere, on TV, in magazines, doctors' offices, the Internet: Are you feeling tense? Having difficulty sleeping? Scared of criticism?

The drugs that revolutionized the treatment of depression a decade ago now are increasingly used to treat anxiety disorders - mental illnesses that can cause paralyzing worry or intense fear of social situations.

Drug companies commonly seek new uses for their drugs; it's a way of expanding their market and getting a greater return on the money spent doing research.

Caused by a deficiency in brain chemistry, the disorders can, indeed, be remedied by potent mood-altering medications such as Paxil and Effexor.

But now it appears they could be capturing a new segment of patients - those with less-serious disorders, such as occasional anxiety.