Anxiolysis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A medical term referring to the reduction of anxiety symptoms through various therapeutic methods or treatments
2. This process involves alleviating feelings of anxiety to improve mental well-being and functioning
3. A therapeutic approach aimed at diminishing anxiety by utilizing pharmacological or psychological interventions

Etymology: Anxiolysis is a modern medical coinage, built from two much older pieces. The first, "anxio-", comes from "anxiety," which entered English from Latin "anxietas" and ultimately from "angere," meaning "to choke or squeeze." Anxiety originally carried a physical sense of tightness before it came to describe a state of mind. The second part, "-lysis," comes from Greek "lysis," meaning "a loosening" or "release," from the verb "lyein," "to loose or untie." The suffix appears in many scientific terms, such as "analysis" (a loosening apart into parts) and "catalysis." Together, the pieces literally describe a loosening of anxiety, a name that fits a treatment meant to relax it.