Mental Health Challenge

Generally speaking, anxiety disorder is a chronic condition with persistent feelings of apprehension, tension, restlessness or dread.

What does anxiety feel like?

Anxiety feels different for each person, but some common symptoms include the inability to relax, constant worry, insomnia, rapid heartbeat, upset stomach and panic attacks.

Can alcohol help me cope with anxiety?

Alcohol may feel like it’s helping with anxiety symptoms in the moment, but it can increase anxiety symptoms and lead to long-term alcohol dependence, abuse and addiction.

Everyone experiences anxiety at some point in their lives, but almost 20% of American adults can be classified as having an anxiety disorder. It’s higher among teens, about 32% meet the criteria.

People with moderate to severe anxiety can talk to a mental health professional to discuss their symptoms and potentially get treatment. Talk to your doctor or use any of the resources below to get help.

What is anxiety treatment like?

Anxiety treatment generally involves cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other forms of talk therapy to help you manage your anxiety. This can happen in-person or online through teletherapy. While there are many anxiety disorder medications available to manage symptoms, they can be addictive and are not always necessary.

Anxiety and depression share many symptoms and can co-occur, but anxiety deals with overwhelming worry or stress, while depression is a mood disorder involving low mood and loss of energy.