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Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders. The fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-TR (2022)—the most widely used reference manual for research, clinical assessment, and insurance purposes in the field of psychiatry—lists several anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, selective mutism, and specific phobias. Anxiety is also a pronounced symptom of other mental illnesses, such as depression, schizophrenia, avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The drugs classified as antianxiety agents are frequently prescribed for patients complaining of tension, muscle strain, sleep problems, panic attacks, and phobias. Among the drugs’ effects are drowsiness, impaired social or occupational functioning, slurred speech, rapid mood changes, and impaired judgment; these effects become more pronounced with increased dosage. Because of the negative impact on occupational functioning that abuse of antianxiety agents can produce, many employment settings have implemented urine testing of employees to screen for these drugs.

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Benzodiazepines are a class of psychoactive drugs that consist of two ring components, namely a six-carbon benzene ring and a seven-membered heterocyclic compound that includes two nitrogen atoms. One of the first benzodiazepines that was developed is chlordiazepoxide (trade name Librium), which was formulated in the 1950s and released on the market in 1960. By the year 1963, another formulation, benzodiazepine diazepam (trade name Valium), was released. By the late 1970s, benzodiazepines were recognized as the most prescribed drug around the world.

More people develop anxiety disorders than any other mental health problem. In part, this is because there are many types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorders, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Individuals with anxiety disorders can be treated with psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two. When medications are used, they tend to be either antidepressants or anxiolytics. Antidepressants are used to treat anxiety disorders as well as depression, because both of these disorders often exhibit a lack of neurotransmitters in the cells within the brain. It has been shown that when people exhibit anxiety, there is increased activity within the amygdala (part of the limbic system). Increased presence of neurotransmitters has been correlated with decreased activity in the amygdala and decreased anxiety. Both selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) have been used to treat depression and certain anxiety disorders. SSRIs, such as paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), and escitalopram (Lexapro), increase the amount of serotonin in the cells of the brain by inhibiting (preventing) their reuptake. SNRIs, including venlafaxine (Effexor) and duloxetine (Cymbalta), inhibit the reuptake of both norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and serotonin. Increasing the amounts of both of these neurotransmitters improves transmission of impulses along the neuron, thereby improving affect and decreasing anxiety.