Around half a million people take anxiety pills in Ireland.
The Irish Examiner says almost 2.3 million prescriptions were written for anxiety and depression drugs in 2012.
330 thousand of those were public patients, at a cost of 40 million euro to the state.
The figures are based on analysis of the top five most frequently prescribed anti anxiety drugs under the General Medical Services scheme.
10 per cent of people in Limerick have been prescribed the pills - the highest number in Ireland.
Health Specialist with the Irish Examiner, Catherine Shanahan, outlines one possible reason.
