Anxiety disorders. Recognition and management.
BACKGROUND
Anxiety disorders are common and disabling. Yet they often go unnoticed: sufferers do not always complain of symptoms, and when they do they often present with primarily somatic concerns. Also, they are sometimes dismissed as being 'just anxious', 'very shy', or 'worriers' rather than being recognized as suffering from very treatable disorders.


OBJECTIVE
To briefly describe the assessment, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and management of the major anxiety disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
Anxiety disorders are common and treatable. Cognitive behavioural therapy and medications are the two main treatment modalities. Ways of increasing skills with psychological techniques are also discussed.
Andrews
G
G
Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety Disorders, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney. gavina@crufad.unsw.edu.au
Garrity
A
A
D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans