[Ambulatory treatment of anxiety disorder. Behavior therapy and drug therapy approaches]

Phobic disorders and other anxiety disorders belong to the most frequent psychiatric illnesses. Since they can be overlapped by other mental illnesses, they are often overlooked in practice. For example, comorbidity between anxiety and depression is very high. Also, personality disorders and a person's biography can lay the ground to anxiety. A typical complication of anxiety disorders is dependence of substances, predominantly of tranquilizers and alcohol. By means of a clinical case example, the topic of anxiety disorders is discussed practically and the treatment concept is detailed. Already during ambulatory care in a general practitioner's office behavioral therapeutic strategies can be implemented besides drug treatment with relatively moderate effort.