ABSTRACT
Anxiety disorders are among the most common emotional problems seen by a physician or mental health professional. Antianxiety medications are known as minor tranquilizers; they are also called sedatives because of their sedating effects. The treatment of anxiety typically uses a variety of antianxiety medications, the most common group of which is the benzodiazepines, which have sedative action. General anxiety, or free-floating anxiety, is perhaps the most fundamental and basic of all the symptoms in psychiatry. While it is fairly easy to choose from among the antianxiety medications available for symptomatic control of anxiety, the more important task of the clinician is to identify the etiology of anxiety and provide definitive treatment. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) as a primary diagnosis is used infrequently, in fact only in the rare case where a more fundamental diagnosis cannot be found. Anxiety symptoms are associated with practically all psychiatric disorders.
