Talk with Your Doctor About Anxiety

It’s normal to feel worried or afraid sometimes. But if worry or fear is making it hard for you to do your usual activities, talk with your doctor about anxiety.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and worry. It can be a normal reaction to a stressful situation, like losing a job or taking care of a family member who’s very sick. But if anxiety doesn’t go away, becomes overwhelming, or interferes with everyday activities, it may be an anxiety disorder.

There are different types of anxiety disorders. For example:

• Generalized anxiety disorder: being very worried about everyday issues and activities 
• Panic disorder: having sudden episodes of intense fear that involve symptoms like a pounding heart and trouble breathing when there’s no danger
• Social anxiety disorder: being very scared that other people are watching or judging you during social situations, like parties, work, or public speaking
• Phobias: being very afraid of a specific thing or situation, like spiders,  flying, or being in a crowd
• Separation anxiety disorder: feeling very scared to be away from loved ones — for example, worrying that something bad will happen to family members when you’re not together

To learn more, check out this information on:

• Anxiety disorders
• Anxiety and women
• Anxiety and Veterans

What are the signs of anxiety?

Anxiety affects people differently, and every anxiety disorder has its own signs and symptoms. But for most people, anxiety involves:

• Anxious thoughts that are hard to control — like a constant worry that something bad might happen
• Physical symptoms — like a pounding or fast heartbeat, aches and pains with no obvious cause, or trouble sleeping
• Behavior changes — like avoiding everyday activities that you used to do

Having caffeine or taking other substances or certain medicines might make your symptoms worse.

What causes anxiety?

Anyone can have anxiety. But some experiences may make it more likely that someone will develop anxiety. These include:

• Dealing with a stressful life situation, like a serious illness or a death in the family
• Experiencing trauma or abuse
• Having a family history of anxiety

In addition, people who have another mental health condition — like depression — may be more likely to have anxiety. Learn more about depression.

How is anxiety treated?

Anxiety can be treated with talk therapy, medicines, or both:

• Talk therapy involves talking with a mental health professional — like a psychiatrist, psychologist, or counselor. One common type of talk therapy is called cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT. CBT focuses on changing the way you think or act to help you face your fears and manage anxiety. 
• Medicines can include anti-anxiety medicines or certain antidepressants (medicines that are also used to treat depression).

Your doctor may refer you to a mental health professional. And if you start taking medicine and it’s not working well enough, your doctor may have you try a different type of medicine.