The anxious patient

One of the most common disorders encountered in family practice, anxiety can be divided into phobic reactions, panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and generalized anxiety, depending on the presenting clinical features. These syndromes can be differentiated from physical illnesses that may have anxiety as part of the symptomatology. With a careful history, depression can be distinguished from anxiety. The treatment of anxiety involves a wide range of procedures including relaxation techniques, systematic desensitization, goal directed psychotherapy, and drug therapy.