Other Specified Anxiety Disorder

It can be normal to experience occasional anxiety or an anticipatory sense of dread, unease, or worry about a future concern. In some cases, a certain level of anxiety can even be beneficial. For example, it may motivate a person to perform well on a test or focus on making important decisions carefully. In contrast, an anxiety disorder like generalized anxiety disorder or another type may occur when anxiety:

• Interferes with your ability to function in daily life
• Results in maladaptive coping strategies, such as avoidance
• Results in distressing psychological or physical symptoms that are difficult to control 

If you have an anxiety disorder, you may experience a wide range of psychological, behavioral, and physical symptoms. 

Psychological symptoms of anxiety disorders may include things like: 

• Obsessive thoughts or uncontrollable worry
• Thoughts that you are helpless, worthless, or hopeless
• Restlessness
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• Dissociation

Behavioral symptoms of anxiety disorders can include things like: 

• Avoidance of situations that may cause anxiety
• Ritualistic behaviors 
• Agitation or irritability
• Difficulty remaining still
• Social withdrawal 
• Becoming easily startled
• Self-medication with alcohol or other substances

Anxiety can often cause physical symptoms, such as the following: 

• Muscle tension
• Hyperventilation, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, or heart palpitations 
• Trembling or shaking
• Tingling, numbness, or a pins and needles sensation in the hands or feet
• Clammy or cold hands 
• Sweating 
• Dry mouth
• Fatigue or weakness
• Sleeping difficulties like insomnia and/or night terrors
• Gastrointestinal issues, such as nausea or diarrhea

If you’re experiencing symptoms of anxiety that are causing you distress or interfering with your life, consider discussing these concerns with your healthcare provider. After ruling out any physical illnesses, they can refer you to a mental health professional who can assess your symptoms.

The exact cause of anxiety disorders are unknown. However, they are thought to involve a combination of psychological, developmental, genetic, and environmental factors. 

Several of the risk factors associated with anxiety disorders are included below: 

• Sex assigned at birth: People assigned female at birth are more likely than those assigned male at birth to experience an anxiety disorder. 
• Sexual orientation: According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, rates of anxiety and depression are two to six times higher in people identifying with a sexual orientation other than heterosexual. This discrepancy is due to the lived experience of minority stress rather than the orientation itself. 
• Gender-nonconformity: People who are transgender—meaning their gender identity, behavior, or expression does not align with their sex assigned at birth—experience an increased risk of anxiety stemming from the experience of stigma, discrimination, and other forms of minority stress. 
• Race: Similarly, research also suggests that multiracial or multiethnic individuals may be at increased risk of developing an anxiety disorder due to their lived experiences.
• Genetics: Individuals with a family history of anxiety may be "significantly more likely" to develop an anxiety disorder themselves. 
• Personality: Traits like neuroticism and shyness are strongly associated with anxiety. 
• Physical health conditions: Anxiety can sometimes be a symptom of physical health conditions, such as hyperthyroidism. 
• Low self-esteem: Low self-esteem and self-confidence may contribute to the development of some mental health conditions, including anxiety. 
• Traumatic or stressful experiences: Childhood trauma can be a risk factor for developing chronic pain and anxiety disorders in adulthood. 

If you’ve experienced a traumatic event, you may experience heightened sensitivity to perceived dangers. Certain stimuli (called “triggers”), such as smells, sounds, or feelings that are reminiscent of your trauma, can cause painful memories to resurface suddenly. These events may cause overwhelming feelings of anxiety or panic. 

If some or all these risk factors apply to you, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop an anxiety disorder. Instead, having multiple risk factors increases the likelihood that you, compared with the rest of the general population, may develop an anxiety disorder at some point.

The most common approaches for addressing anxiety include a combination of talk therapy, medication, and self-care, which may help you develop greater self-awareness, build healthier coping strategies, and manage symptoms more effectively.

Medication

Medication may sometimes be used to reduce anxiety while an individual works through their condition in therapy. Below are some potential options: 

• Anti-anxiety medications: In some cases, benzodiazepines may be prescribed to treat acute (short-term) anxiety. However, these mediations are generally avoided because of side effects and because they are habit-forming and can be misused. For these reasons, benzodiazepines are often only used as a short-term treatment. 
• Beta-blockers: Beta-blockers can be used to treat heart conditions, but your doctor may also prescribe them to treat physical anxiety symptoms. 
• Antidepressants: Medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and SNRIs may be prescribed to address symptoms of anxiety or depression. 

Depending on symptom type and severity, healthcare professionals may prescribe medications to help you manage anxiety after an evaluation. While medications may improve symptoms and functioning, they do not cure anxiety or address underlying factors that cause or exacerbate symptoms, such as chronic stress. 

Consult a medical doctor before starting, changing, or stopping a medication for any condition. The information in this article is not a replacement for medical advice or diagnosis.

Other treatment options 

Other treatment options for anxiety might include support groups, hospitalization in the case of suicidal ideation, or support classes, such as meditation or mindfulness⁴ classes. Support groups can be a way to meet with people with similar symptoms and receive support and solidarity.

Self-care

Self-care can be a way to cope with symptoms while you receive treatment for anxiety. Below are a few common self-care practices: 

• Mindfulness meditation: This type of meditation emphasizes centering awareness on the present moment and refraining from judgment. For some, mindfulness can improve stress regulation, decrease symptom of anxiety, depression, and rumination.  
• Exercise: Various forms of exercise, including brisk walking and dancing, may significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety and improve overall mood. 
• Get enough sleep: Strategies like reducing caffeine intake, limiting screen time before bed, investing in blackout curtains and a white noise machine or app, and establishing a regular bedtime routine may improve sleep quality. Getting enough quality sleep may help you manage stressors and reduce anxiety.  

The treatment option that works best for you might not work for someone else, but some people experience improvements in their symptoms with a combination of therapy, self-care, and, in some cases, medication.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a first-line therapy that’s often used to address anxiety and related disorders. Online CBT—which is offered by therapists on platforms like BetterHelp—can be effective for several types of anxiety, and some people prefer the comfort of attending sessions from home. Other resources for anxiety include the following: 

• Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA): Among other resources, the ADAA provides a directory of in-person and online support groups in your state, free tips and strategies for anxiety and stress management, and anonymous online communities in English and Spanish. 
• Crisis Text Line: Staffed by crisis counselors, the Crisis Text Line offers free 24/7 support whenever you need it. To connect with these services, visit their website or text HOME to 741741.
• Worksheets: Sites like the Centre for Clinical Interventions offer free worksheets and informational handouts on anxiety. 

Please see our Get Help Now page for more immediate resources.

For help with substance use, contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

For those with thoughts of suicide, contact 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. Please also see our Get Help Now page for more immediate resources.

There are various effective anxiety medications available. That said, some can result in harmful side effects, delayed symptom relief, and medication dependence. Ongoing studies are evaluating the potential of alternatives—such as cannabidiol (CBD)—as novel treatments for anxiety symptoms. For example, a 2022 clinical trial published in Communications Medicine sought to assess whether or not high doses of CBD might effectively reduce anxiety symptoms without causing serious side effects. The findings suggest that anxiety symptoms, mood, sleep quality, and self-control may be quickly improved and maintained using CBD with minimal side effects in some individuals. 

Other studies have investigated rates of cannabidiol self-medication, which commonly occurs among individuals with anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. For example, a research article published in Frontiers in Psychiatry suggests that, in a survey of 90 participants aged 16 to 69 who used CBD to self-medicate, only 19% had consulted their medical provider or pharmacist about it. Of participants seeing a psychiatrist, less than half told their psychiatrist about their CBD usage. The authors raise multiple concerns, including the fact that CBD obtained outside a pharmacy may not meet pharmaceutical regulatory standards.

Below are several statistics on other specified anxiety disorder: 

• While there is no national database on the prevalence of other specified anxiety disorders, specifically, an analysis of a sample of 800 clinical patients with anxiety disorders found that 9.8% received a diagnosis of other specified anxiety disorders. 
• It's estimated that 31.1% of adults in the United States will experience an anxiety disorder within their lifetime, making it the most common type of psychiatric disorder. 
• Around 65% of people with symptoms of an anxiety disorder seek help. 
• Anxiety disorders often respond well to cognitive behavioral therapy, with one meta-analysis suggesting that, in a 3.9-year follow-up, 63% of participants who received this treatment no longer met diagnostic criteria for their primary anxiety diagnosis.