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The episodic nature of anxiety and its treatment with oxazepam
Author(s) -
IMLAH N. W.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1978.tb02392.x
Subject(s) - oxazepam , anxiety , psychology , psychiatry , medicine , clinical psychology , psychotherapist , benzodiazepine , receptor
The presentation of anxiety in clinical practice is examined, and it is concluded that many patients, perhaps a majority, experience fluctuating levels of anxiety. It is therefore suggested that therapy should be intermittent, according to this waxing and waning of symptoms. Most benzodiazepines are long‐acting, and are therefore unsuitable for this type of therapy, but oxazepam, which is short‐acting and has no active metabolites, is ideal for this purpose. It is proposed that such a regimen would minimize the problems of over‐sedation, psychological habituation, and a reluctance, due to a permanently tranquillized state, to deal with the root causes of the anxiety.