If you’re dealing with anxiety, you have more options than you might realize, from a simple conversation with your regular doctor to free crisis support available right now by calling or texting 988. The right starting point depends on how urgent your situation feels and what kind of help you’re looking for.
If You Need Help Right Now
You can call, text, or chat 988 from anywhere in the United States to reach a trained crisis counselor. Services are available in English and Spanish, with interpretation available in more than 240 additional languages. When you text 988, you’ll see prompts to connect with Spanish-speaking counselors (enter AYUDA) or the Veterans Crisis Line (text 838255 directly). Veterans, service members, and their families can also call 988 and press 1 for specialized support.
If you’re experiencing chest pain, heart palpitations, or shortness of breath alongside anxiety, it’s worth getting evaluated in an emergency room. These symptoms overlap between panic attacks and heart attacks, and the American Heart Association recommends erring on the side of caution. Women are somewhat more likely to experience less obvious heart attack symptoms like nausea or back and jaw pain, making the distinction even harder to sort out on your own.
Start With Your Primary Care Doctor
Your regular doctor is one of the most accessible starting points for anxiety, and many people don’t realize their primary care physician can both diagnose and treat it. Most offices use a short screening questionnaire called the GAD-7, which scores your symptoms on a scale from 0 to 21. Scores of 5 to 9 suggest mild anxiety, 10 to 14 indicate moderate anxiety, and 15 or higher points to severe anxiety. A score of 8 or above generally signals the need for further evaluation to identify what type of anxiety disorder you’re dealing with.
Primary care doctors can prescribe first-line anxiety medications, which are typically the same class of drugs used for depression. SSRIs are the standard starting treatment for generalized anxiety disorder, and your doctor may also consider an SNRI or, if side effects are a concern, a non-SSRI alternative. These medications take several weeks to reach full effect, so your doctor will likely schedule follow-up visits to monitor how you’re responding. For many people with mild to moderate anxiety, this is all the professional help they need.
Therapists, Psychologists, and Psychiatrists
Understanding who does what can save you time and frustration when choosing a provider. The three main types of mental health professionals you’ll encounter work differently, and each fills a distinct role.
A therapist or counselor (licensed clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, or marriage and family therapist) provides talk therapy and is often the most affordable option for regular sessions. They hold master’s degrees and can treat anxiety through structured approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy.
Psychologists hold doctoral degrees (PhD or PsyD) and spend 5 to 7 years in postgraduate training plus additional clinical hours. They specialize in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions through therapy. As one UCLA psychologist describes the work: “We’re teaching people skills.” Psychologists typically see patients weekly for about an hour, which means more frequent contact than you’d get with a psychiatrist. They cannot prescribe medication in most states.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who complete 8 to 10 years of postgraduate training, including medical school and a psychiatry residency. They can prescribe medications and perform medical procedures related to mental health. Appointments with psychiatrists tend to be less frequent and more focused on medication management than talk therapy. If your anxiety is severe or hasn’t responded to initial treatment, a psychiatrist is the specialist most equipped to fine-tune your medication.
For many people, the most effective approach combines therapy with a psychologist or counselor and medication management through a primary care doctor or psychiatrist.
Free and Low-Cost Options
Cost is one of the biggest barriers to getting help, but several resources exist specifically to lower it. Federally Qualified Health Centers operate more than 16,200 service sites across every U.S. state and territory. These centers offer mental health services on a sliding scale based on your income, meaning you pay what you can afford. You can search for one near you at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov by entering your city, state, or zip code.
NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) runs free peer-led support groups in two main formats. NAMI Connection is for people living with mental health conditions, while NAMI Family Support Group serves family members, partners, and friends. Many of these groups meet virtually, so attendance is open to anyone across the country regardless of location. Groups are also available in Spanish. You can find a local NAMI chapter through nami.org to see what’s offered near you.
Open Path Collective and similar directories connect people with therapists who offer reduced-rate sessions, typically between $30 and $80 per visit. Many therapists in private practice also reserve a certain number of sliding-scale spots, so it’s always worth asking about reduced fees when you call.
Apps With Research Behind Them
Not every mental health app delivers on its promises, but a 2025 systematic review identified several that showed meaningful reductions in anxiety symptoms across clinical studies. Headspace, which focuses on daily meditation and breathing exercises, is one of the most widely studied. Insight Timer offers guided breathing, body scanning, and gratitude practices. Both showed significant improvements in anxiety in peer-reviewed research.
Other apps with clinical evidence include Mello (combining mindfulness, thought challenging, and self-compassion exercises), eQuoo (which uses gamified challenges to reframe negative thinking), and COVID Coach (offering relaxation, mindfulness, and mood tracking tools developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). Apps work best as a supplement to other treatment rather than a replacement, especially if your anxiety is moderate or severe.
How to Know What Level of Help You Need
Generalized anxiety disorder is formally diagnosed when excessive worry persists for at least six months and comes with three or more of these symptoms: restlessness or feeling on edge, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, or sleep problems. The worry also needs to be causing real disruption in your work, relationships, or daily functioning, not just occasional stress.
If your anxiety is mild and situational, starting with an app, support group, or a conversation with your primary care doctor is reasonable. If it’s been going on for months, interfering with your ability to work or maintain relationships, or causing physical symptoms like chronic muscle tension and insomnia, therapy with a licensed professional is a stronger fit. And if you’ve tried therapy alone without enough improvement, adding medication through your doctor or a psychiatrist is a logical next step.
The most important thing isn’t choosing the perfect option on the first try. It’s choosing any option and adjusting from there.