Which drug is used primarily for anxiolysis?

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Anxiolysis means reducing anxiety with minimal sedation, and drugs in this category are usually benzodiazepines that enhance GABAergic inhibition to calm the patient. Among the options, diazepam is the classic choice for anxiolysis. It reliably relieves anxiety when given preprocedurally, which is why it’s commonly used as an anxiolytic premedication in pediatric patients.

Midazolam can also provide anxiolysis, but it is more often chosen for procedural sedation because of its rapid onset and shorter duration, with a stronger emphasis on achieving sedation for the procedure itself. Morphine is an analgesic with sedative effects rather than an agent aimed at anxiety relief, and flumazenil is a benzodiazepine antagonist used to reverse benzodiazepine effects, not to provide anxiolysis. Diazepam’s profile—effective anxiety relief with a duration suitable for the premed period—makes it the best answer here.