The concept of generalized anxiety disorder. Historical introduction

The mental and physical symptoms that are currently included under the anxiety disorders have been observed for centuries (Table 1). During the first half of the 1800s, the individual physical symptoms were considered to be specific diseases of the heart, inner ear, gastrointestinal system and other systems of the body. Each symptom was taken at face value and the physicians attempted to treat them as real physical complaints. Meanwhile, the mental component of anxiety was usually seen as part of the melancholic state.1