Are you referring to anti-anxiety meds - valium, librium, tranxene, xanax, and so on? If so, then yes there are beneficial uses for them. What rewind said above is true, however, care must be taken in that circumstance for medical reasons; i.e., changes in heart rate and its potential effect in combination with anesthesia. They are mostly used in conjunction with some form of psychotherapy. For instance, a psychiatrist may deem it necessary to prescribe a benzodiazepine (tranquilizer) to a patient who suffers from say agoraphobia (fear of being in public places). In most cases, the patient will take the meds and see the doctor on a regular basis for therapy. When the doctor deems the patient ready to face their fear, they will titrate (gradually decrease the dosage) the patient off the med until they are able to function without it. Sometimes therapy continues after the med is stopped. The disadvantages of this type of medication are 1) benzodiazepines are addictive and 2) when the time comes to stop their use, the patient must be gradually taken off them under their doctors' direction. Some people stop cold turkey and sometimes wind up suffering severe withdrawal symptoms. Hope this helps.
