Anxiety disorders

Abstract

This article addresses the role of the primary care physician in the diagnosis and treatment of people with the principal anxiety disorders: panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, specific and social phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. This article also discusses each disorder and current treatment options, emphasizing the various roles of psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and patient education in each. Most people with anxiety disorders do not seek help, therefore, the primary care physician has a significant opportunity to detect these life-constricting, but treatable, disorders.