Common Anxiety Symptoms in Adults: Recognizing When Anxiety Requires Treatment
Everyone experiences fear and worry from time to time. Job interviews, stressful life changes, and difficult decisions can make anyone feel nervous, even on the best of days. These occasional anxious feelings are a normal (and often healthy) part of the human experience.
However, anxiety may become a concern when it lasts beyond a stressful situation, makes it hard to complete your day-to-day tasks, or feels out of control and overwhelming.
Learning to identify common anxiety symptoms can help you better understand when professional support might be indicated. This page explores:
When anxiety may be a cause for concern- Common types and signs of anxiety disorder
- Common anxiety symptoms in adults
- Anxiety therapy options
- Where to find professional support
- Answers to frequently asked questions about anxiety
When Is Anxiety Serious?
Signs that may indicate that your level of anxiety is extending beyond typical stress may include avoiding social connections and meaningful activities. You might also call in sick frequently or find sleep and tasks like grocery shopping a challenge.
Physical symptoms can be an indicator, too. Panic attacks, chest pains that mimic heart problems, or feeling like you’re “losing your mind” can be very difficult to endure.
Similarly, if your anxiety symptoms occur for weeks or months without relief – or get progressively worse despite your best efforts – this might signal the presence of an anxiety disorder. Fortunately, these disorders are treatable mental health conditions.
Common Types of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders involve several unique conditions, each with its own unique symptoms and triggers. While all anxiety disorders involve excessive worry and fear, knowing the differences between them can help you recognize patterns that reflect your own experiences and seek out the appropriate treatment.
The following sections explore the different types of anxiety disorders and their symptoms.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder
Specific Phobias
Common Anxiety Symptoms in Adults
When it comes to the emotional symptoms of anxiety, many adults find themselves caught in cycles of “what if” thinking, imagining worst-case scenarios, and feeling as if something awful is about to happen. Therefore, racing thoughts and memory issues can be common, with many people describing feeling on edge, irritable, and emotionally overwhelmed.
Anxiety Warning Signs
Physical symptoms that last long after a stressful situation is over – such as chronic muscle tension and sleep disturbances – might also indicate that an underlying anxiety disorder is present.
Additionally, chronic stress can overwhelm your coping strategies, making you more susceptible to developing persistent anxiety as an adult.8 Unresolved trauma can also surface during periods of vulnerability.
Recognizing these potential triggers can help you better understand why anxiety might emerge during certain periods in your life and motivate you to seek the appropriate treatment.
We discuss some of these treatment options next.
Anxiety Therapy Options
The good news is that anxiety disorders are highly treatable – you don’t have to live with overwhelming worry and fear.
With the right support and evidence-based treatment approaches, many people with anxiety disorders experience major improvements in their symptoms and overall quality of life. Professional therapy provides you with the skills and strategies needed to take control over anxious thoughts and feelings, helping you return to the activities and relationships anxiety has disrupted.
Some evidence-based therapies for anxiety in adults include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT helps you to identify your thought patterns that fuel anxiety and worry, providing a structured approach to gradually facing feared situations in a controlled way. CBT also teaches practical techniques for managing anxious thoughts as they occur.
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): DBT teaches you new emotional regulation skills (including mindfulness and emotional regulation techniques) that help you stay grounded during intense episodes of anxiety. It’s often particularly helpful for those experiencing anxiety that’s accompanied by big emotions or self-destructive behaviors.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR): EMDR can address the underlying traumas that may be contributing to your current anxiety symptoms, helping people process and reduce the emotional weight of anxiety-provoking memories.
- Psychodynamic therapy: This therapeutic modality provides you with insight into the deep-rooted causes of your anxiety, helping you build toward lasting change. Psychodynamic work focuses on identifying defense mechanisms and emotional responses that might be contributing to anxiety, exploring unconscious thought patterns and early life experiences that contribute.
- Group therapy: Group sessions are led by a licensed clinician and connect you with other adults facing similar challenges. They can provide a space to process emotions and learn new ways to practice social skills and coping strategies with your peers.
Anxiety Treatment Levels of Care for Adults
Quality anxiety treatment for adults is available across multiple points of engagement, allowing you to receive the appropriate support based on your needs.
Outpatient programs work well for adults with mild to moderate anxiety, including intensive outpatient programs (IOP) and partial hospitalization programs (PHP). Both of these approaches allow you to return home around treatment attendance.
Crisis stabilization services can provide immediate, short-term intervention during acute anxiety episodes or ongoing panic attacks that feel overwhelming or dangerous.
Residential or inpatient treatment for anxiety disorders can help those whose symptoms are severe enough to interfere with daily living or pose a severe safety threat. Offering round-the-clock supervision and support, inpatient for anxiety symptoms helps your treatment team to observe your anxiety symptoms over a longer period of time and co-create your treatment plan for holistic healing. This approach allows you to build coping skills in a safe and controlled environment.
No matter which level of care you need, the goal remains the same: helping you develop effective anxiety management strategies and getting you back to living your best life. Many people benefit from starting at a higher level of care and stepping down to less intensive services as their symptoms improve.
Further, aftercare planning can also ensure you receive ongoing support via counseling, support groups, and any medication management you may need, helping to maintain your progress and prevent symptom relapse.
AMFM: Professional Support for Anxiety
Anxiety doesn’t have to control your life. At A Mission For Michael, our treatment centers offer a place where you can focus on your healing. You’ll work alongside a dedicated clinical team that combines evidence-based care with unique experiential activities.
Your experiences are inherently unique, which is why we build each treatment plan around your specific struggles, strengths, and goals. If you or a loved one is struggling, reach out to AMFM today and let us help you build a bridge towards a better tomorrow.
What to Expect
Insurance Verification
Our team will verify if your insurance provider is in-network with an AMFM Healthcare Facility.
Contact From Admission Representative:
Expect a call within an hour from an admissions representative to discuss treatment options.
Frequently Asked Questions About Common Anxiety Symptoms in Adults
While the aim of this page was to help you better understand common anxiety symptoms in adults and when they may indicate an anxiety disorder, it’s normal to still have some pressing concerns or questions. For this reason, we’ve provided responses to some FAQs about anxiety.
Can Anxiety Symptoms Come and Go Throughout the Day?
Yes, anxiety symptoms can fluctuate in intensity. You might wake up feeling calm and experience a surge of dread in the afternoon, feeling better in the evening. These variations can be caused by specific situations or be linked to your environment. Tracking these patterns can help you identify your triggers and hone in on your treatment needs.
How Long Do Anxiety Symptoms Typically Last?
The duration of anxiety symptoms for adults can vary. For example, a panic attack typically peaks within ten minutes and goes away within a half-hour, although the exhaustion can linger for much longer. Generalized anxiety symptoms might last throughout the day or even for months on end without the proper treatment. Thankfully, the right treatment can also help you better understand your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
References
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2017, December). Anxiety Disorders. NAMI. https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Anxiety-Disorders/
- National Institute of Mental Health. (2024). Anxiety disorders. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders
- National Institute of Mental Health. (2022). Generalized anxiety disorder: When worry gets out of control. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad
- National Institute of Mental Health. (2022). Social anxiety disorder: What You Need to Know. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/social-anxiety-disorder-more-than-just-shyness
- National Institute of Mental Health. (2022). Panic Disorder: When Fear Overwhelms. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms
- Samra, C. K., & Abdijadid, S. (2024). Specific Phobia. Nih.gov; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499923/
- Mayo Clinic. (2025, July 29). Anxiety disorders. Mayo Clinic; Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961
- Mayo Clinic Staff. (2023, August 1). Chronic stress puts your health at risk. Mayo Clinic; Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037
