Anxiety states, phobic and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Clinical picture, differential diagnostic and management

Abstract

• 1.

  1. The features of normal anxiety, fear and rituals are reviewed. These can occur in isolation, or in conjunction with other phenomena.

• 2.

  2. When they are severe and dominate the clinical picture they can form distinctive disorders like anxiety states, phobic and obsessive-compulsive disorders, and depression.

• 3.

  3. Management depends upon the clinical picture. Exposure is the treatment of choice for phobias and compulsive rituals, while antidepressant drugs are useful in the presence of depressive mood.