All the ways to treat anxiety
Therapy and medicine are two good tools, and there are more. Below is every approach with research behind it, from the best proven to the still new, plus who offers each one near you.
Anxiety responds very well to care, and most people do best when they combine approaches. Therapy builds skills that change how your mind responds. Exercise, slow breathing and good sleep change how your body responds. Some people also take medication for a while.
We rank the options by the strength of the research. Money plays no part in the order. Each card says whether the approach is traditional, alternative or progressive, what studies show, and which kind of provider offers it.
Live Well Map lists providers. We do not give medical care. Bring this guide to your doctor or therapist and decide together. In a crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline). You can also go straight to the closest emergency room.
Written by the Live Well Map Editorial Team and reviewed on September 29, 2026. You will find every source at the bottom of the page. How we write and check our guides.
Find these options close to home
Type your ZIP code and we will show local providers under each approach.
Best evidence
Clinical guidelines name these first. This is the place to begin.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
A hands-on talk therapy. You learn to spot anxious thoughts, check whether they hold up, and face what you fear in small steps. Most people go weekly for 8 to 20 sessions.
Medication evaluation
When anxiety is moderate to severe, the usual first medicines are SSRI or SNRI antidepressants. Your prescriber talks through the benefits and side effects with you and checks in on how it goes.
Good evidence
Solid trials support these. They pair well with first-line care.
Regular exercise
Across many trials, aerobic and strength workouts cut anxiety symptoms by a moderate amount.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)
A group class that meets for eight weeks and teaches meditation and body awareness. A 2023 trial found it as effective for anxiety disorders as escitalopram, a common antidepressant.
Some evidence
The studies are smaller or mixed. Many people like these as extras next to their main care.
Yoga
Randomized trials suggest regular yoga eases anxiety in people with raised anxiety levels. Results for diagnosed anxiety disorders are less clear.
Slow breathing and breathwork
Breathing slowly, at about six breaths a minute, settles the nervous system and is linked with lower anxiety. It is simple to learn and you can do it anywhere.
Massage therapy
A series of massage visits eases anxiety for a while afterward. One large review found the effect about as big as that of a course of talk therapy.
Acupuncture
Some studies suggest it may help anxiety, but the trials vary in quality. Use it as an extra next to first-line care, never in place of it.
Emerging or specialist
Research is still under way, or these are kept for when first treatments fall short.
Neurofeedback and biofeedback
You watch your heart rate or brain activity on a screen as it happens and practice moving it toward calm. It looks promising, but anxiety still needs bigger controlled trials.
Check with a doctor first if
- First-ever panic-like symptoms, most of all chest pain or trouble breathing: see a doctor to rule out a heart, thyroid or lung cause.
- Anxiety along with heavy drinking or sedative use: tell your provider. Quitting all at once can be dangerous.
- Thinking about hurting yourself: call or text 988 right now.
Sources
- Generalised anxiety and panic disorder, NICE guideline CG113
- NICE guideline CG113
- British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2023. Singh et al., umbrella review of 97 reviews
- JAMA Psychiatry, 2023. Hoge et al.
- Depression and Anxiety, 2018. Cramer et al., meta-analysis
- Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2018. Zaccaro et al., systematic review
- Psychological Bulletin, 2004. Moyer et al., meta-analysis
- Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 2018. Amorim et al., systematic review
Do you provide one of these?
Listing is free. Show up under your approach, in your ZIP code, right beside the research.