Anxiety is a very common and disabling condition which has serious consequences for patients, their families and society in general. The past decade has witnessed an increase in the recognition and understanding of the problem but considerable confusion and debate remains over attitudes towards treatment. The background to this controversy dates from the late 1980s when widespread and vehement criticism of doctors and drug companies over the use of benzodiazepines began. Although the litigation was unsuccessful, it resulted in a pervading feeling of uncertainty (both within the medical profession and among patients) about prescribing or taking any drug as a treatment for anxiety. The situation has been further confounded by the split that has occurred between the proponents of pharmacological and psychological approaches to management. These controversies have left the practising clinician in an unenviable position, with few practical or relevant guidelines to follow. Developments over recent years, however, should put an end to this confusion; new pharmacotherapies such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and buspirone, and older ones such as the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), have emerged as effective alternatives to the benzodiazepines and have been paralleled by a similar growth in effective and available psychological treatments, particularly cognitive and cognitive–behavioural therapy. This progress seems set to continue with the rapid expansion of knowledge about the brain circuits and transmitters regulating anxiety that is now emerging from imaging studies.