Terminology glossary.

A structured therapy approach that helps people accept difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them, and commit to actions aligned with their values. Often used for anxiety when the goal is less "make the anxiety go away" and more "keep living well while anxiety is present." Evidence base is solid, particularly for chronic anxiety and when standard CBT hasn't landed.

Fear and avoidance of situations that would be hard to escape or get help in — crowds, public transit, open spaces, being far from home. Often develops in people with panic disorder as they progressively avoid places they\'ve had attacks. Treatable with exposure therapy.

An herbal supplement with some short-term evidence for reducing anxiety symptoms. Modest effect size. Unregulated, so potency and purity vary by brand. Not a substitute for evidence-based treatment.

Fast-acting anti-anxiety medications that work within about 30 minutes. Effective in the moment; carry meaningful dependence risk with regular use. Generally used short-term or for specific dreaded events (a single flight, a procedure). Not first-line for chronic anxiety in current guidelines — SSRIs are.

Blood-pressure medications that also reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety (racing heart, shaking hands, sweating) without affecting cognition. Often prescribed for performance anxiety (presentations, auditions) on an as-needed basis. Non-controlled, non-habit-forming.

The most-studied talk therapy for anxiety and one of the most effective treatments available. Works by identifying the thought patterns (catastrophizing, worst-case thinking) and behaviors (avoidance, safety behaviors) that keep anxiety going, and systematically changing them. Usually 12–20 weekly sessions. Effects tend to persist after treatment ends.

When we say "standard CBT" we mean this — the general-purpose version. When we say "CBT for panic" or "CBT with ERP," we mean a version specifically adapted for that condition.

A short-course version of CBT specifically for insomnia. Outperforms sleep medication for chronic insomnia, and the effects persist after treatment ends. Since anxiety and insomnia often co-occur, CBT-I is frequently part of an anxiety treatment plan.

The standard reference psychiatrists and psychologists in the US use to diagnose mental health conditions. Published by the American Psychiatric Association. When a page says "DSM-5-TR criteria for panic attack," we mean the specific diagnostic checklist in this manual.

A specific type of CBT that\'s the gold-standard treatment for OCD and highly effective for anxiety with strong avoidance or compulsion patterns. You deliberately expose yourself to a trigger (touch a doorknob, think an intrusive thought, sit in the meeting) without performing the safety behavior that would normally reduce your anxiety. Uncomfortable. Reliably works.

The broader category that includes ERP. Gradually facing feared situations in a structured, therapist-guided way until the fear response diminishes. First-line treatment for specific phobias (fear of flying, driving, needles, dogs) and for panic disorder.

The DSM-5-TR diagnosis for excessive, difficult-to-control worry across multiple domains (work, health, family, small decisions) most days for at least six months, plus physical symptoms (fatigue, muscle tension, sleep disturbance). One of several anxiety disorders — not synonymous with "anxiety" broadly.

A validated, free 7-question screening tool developed by Spitzer et al. in 2006 (published in Archives of Internal Medicine). Widely used by primary-care providers to identify people who may have an anxiety disorder. It is a screener, not a diagnostic tool — a high score suggests further evaluation, not a diagnosis. The Anxiety.com assessment is built on the GAD-7.

Estrogen (and sometimes progesterone) prescribed to reduce menopause and perimenopause symptoms, including hot flashes, sleep disruption, and hormonally-driven anxiety. Modern HRT is significantly safer than the reputation it acquired from a 2002 study that has since been reinterpreted. Discuss with a Menopause Society-certified provider.

A state of persistently scanning your environment for threats, at higher-than-baseline levels. Feature of many anxiety presentations and PTSD. Often experienced as feeling "on edge," jumpy, or unable to relax even in safe environments.

A therapy model that treats the mind as composed of different "parts" (e.g., a part that\'s anxious, a part that\'s protective, a part that\'s ashamed) and works on the relationships between them. Increasingly popular. Emerging evidence base — still less-studied than CBT, though clinically well-regarded.

A specific technique used in CBT for panic disorder. You deliberately induce the physical sensations of panic (spinning in a chair to trigger dizziness, breathing through a straw to trigger air hunger) in a controlled setting until the sensations lose their alarm value. Sounds terrible. Works.

A variant of CBT that focuses on your relationship with your worrying — the belief that worrying is productive, the belief that you can\'t stop — rather than on the content of what you\'re worrying about. Particularly well-suited for chronic ruminators.

Part of the US National Institutes of Health; the primary federal agency for mental health research. NIMH\'s public-facing pages (nimh.nih.gov) are widely considered authoritative sources for consumer mental health information.

A condition characterized by intrusive, distressing thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors performed to reduce the distress (compulsions). Distinct from generalized anxiety, though they overlap and are often treated by the same clinicians. Reclassified out of the "anxiety disorders" category in DSM-5. First-line treatment: ERP.

The equivalent of the GAD-7 for depression — a validated, free 9-question screening tool used in primary care to identify possible depression. Often paired with the GAD-7 in clinical settings.

A specialty certification for clinicians (therapists, nurses, MDs) who work with perinatal mental health — anxiety, depression, and OCD during pregnancy and the first year postpartum. Offered by Postpartum Support International. Signals expertise in this specific population.

The primary US nonprofit for perinatal mental health support. Runs a free 24/7 helpline (1-800-944-4773 — call or text), free online support groups, and a coordinator service that matches you to local resources. Also administers the PMH-C certification.

Repetitive, difficult-to-stop mental replay of concerns or past events, without arriving at resolution. Feels like problem-solving. Research is consistent that it increases anxiety and depression rather than reducing them. Key target of both CBT and metacognitive therapy.

A class of antidepressant/anti-anxiety medications that act on both serotonin and norepinephrine. Similar effectiveness to SSRIs; sometimes tried when SSRIs haven\'t worked. Take 4–6 weeks to reach full effect.

Refers to bodily/physical experience — as opposed to "cognitive," which refers to mental/thought experience. When we describe an anxiety pattern as "somatic," we mean it shows up primarily in the body (chest tightness, GI symptoms, restlessness). Somatic therapies are body-based approaches like somatic experiencing, Hakomi, or sensorimotor psychotherapy.

The first-line medication class for most anxiety disorders. Increases serotonin availability in the brain. Take 4–6 weeks to reach full effect. Not habit-forming. Common side effects (usually transient) include nausea, sleep changes, and sexual side effects. Discuss with a prescriber — primary care, psychiatry, or online psychiatric services can prescribe.

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