I have some personal experience with Atarax (hydroxyzine) which I can share. First, it's a first generation antihistamine (similar to Benadryl {diphenhydramine}). However the difference lies in hydroxyzine being a bit less sedating, and being somewhat effective at relief of general anxiety.
Its side effect profile consists mostly of drowsiness which wears off for the most part after a while, though the anti anxiety effects don't typically diminish as sharply as tolerance builds. Another noteworthy and bothersome side effect from my experience with it is dry mouth and dry eyes.
All that said, I did find it to be helpful at treating my anxiety with minimal side effects for the benefits. In my case I also suffer from severe panic attacks, and unfortunately it was not strong or fast acting enough to cut through those.
By all means though, I'd say it ranks on the list of non addictive medications for anxiety disorder that are well worth a try.