Medically reviewed by Dr. Alicia Moreno, PhD
Co-Occurring Disorders Editor & Mental Health · Last reviewed January 2025

Anxiety disorders are the most common category of mental health conditions in the United States, affecting approximately 19.1% of adults in any given year according to the NIMH. They encompass a group of related conditions united by excessive, persistent fear or anxiety that causes significant distress or functional impairment.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

GAD is characterized by excessive, difficult-to-control worry about multiple domains of life — work, finances, health, family — occurring more days than not for at least six months. The worry is accompanied by physical symptoms including restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance. GAD affects approximately 3.1% of U.S. adults annually.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder involves recurrent unexpected panic attacks — sudden surges of intense fear with physical symptoms including racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, and fear of dying or losing control. The hallmark of panic disorder is persistent worry about future panic attacks or behavioral changes to avoid them. Approximately 2.7% of U.S. adults have panic disorder in any given year.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder involves intense, persistent fear of social or performance situations due to fear of embarrassment, humiliation, or scrutiny. It goes well beyond shyness — it causes significant distress and avoidance that impairs work, school, and relationships. It is among the most prevalent anxiety disorders, affecting approximately 7.1% of U.S. adults annually.

Specific Phobias

Specific phobias involve intense, irrational fear of specific objects or situations (spiders, heights, flying, needles, etc.) that leads to avoidance and impairment. Approximately 8.7% of U.S. adults have a specific phobia.

Causes and Risk Factors

Anxiety disorders arise from complex interactions of genetic predisposition, neurobiological factors (particularly involving the amygdala and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis), developmental experiences, and environmental stressors. Having a family member with an anxiety disorder increases risk, as do childhood adversity, chronic stress, and certain medical conditions. Substance use can both cause anxiety symptoms and worsen existing anxiety disorders — a relationship explored in our section on anxiety and substance use disorders.

Treatment

Anxiety disorders are among the most treatment-responsive mental health conditions. First-line treatments include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — Particularly exposure-based CBT, which involves gradual, systematic exposure to feared situations or stimuli. CBT has robust evidence across all anxiety disorder subtypes and is considered the gold-standard psychotherapy intervention.
SSRIs and SNRIs — Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are the first-line pharmacological treatments for GAD, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Response rates are significant, and these medications are generally well-tolerated.
Buspirone — Particularly for GAD; non-habit-forming anxiolytic with a slower onset than benzodiazepines.
Benzodiazepines — Effective for short-term anxiety relief but carry significant risks of dependence with longer-term use, particularly in individuals with substance use history. Most guidelines recommend against long-term benzodiazepine use for anxiety disorders. See our article on benzodiazepine dependence.

The combination of CBT and pharmacotherapy is often more effective than either alone for moderate-to-severe anxiety disorders. Continued treatment beyond initial symptom response reduces the risk of relapse.