• Young adults drive the fastest growth in anxiety medication prescriptions — Among Americans ages 18 to 34, the proportion taking anxiety medication rose from 8.8% in 2019 to 14.6% in 2024. Researchers believe multiple social forces are behind this increase, including pandemic stress, economic uncertainty, and growing social media exposure.

These pressures create constant mental stimulation and comparison that feed worry and insecurity, which leads more people to seek pharmaceutical treatment.

• SSRIs remain the most widely prescribed anxiety medications — Drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft and Lexapro fall into this category. They work by altering how brain cells handle serotonin, a chemical messenger involved in mood regulation and emotional stability.

By slowing the brain's reabsorption of serotonin, these drugs increase the amount of the chemical circulating between nerve cells. Doctors frequently prescribe SSRIs as first-line treatment for generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder.

• Side effects remain a common reason people discontinue treatment — SSRIs come with drawbacks that affect many users. The report identified several common side effects, including upset stomach, fatigue, mental fog, and sexual dysfunction. For some patients these issues become difficult to tolerate in daily life. Data cited in the article show about 1 in 12 people stop taking SSRIs because of side effects.

• RFK Jr. argues withdrawal from SSRIs is difficult for some people — Kennedy emerged as one of the most prominent critics of expanding psychiatric medication use. During his January 29, 2026 confirmation hearing, Kennedy described cases where people struggled to stop taking SSRIs after long-term use. He stated that he personally knows individuals, including family members, who had "a tougher time quitting SSRIs than people have quitting heroin."

• Federal officials are examining behavioral risks linked to psychiatric drugs — Kennedy has also directed his agency to study whether psychiatric medications such as SSRIs play a role in violent behavior. Federal health officials are examining links between psychiatric drug use and acts such as school shootings. This investigation reflects broader concerns among policymakers that certain medications alter emotional regulation in ways that require deeper study.

• Social and cultural shifts play a major role in the anxiety epidemic — The report also examined broader forces behind rising anxiety rates, including increased social media use, economic stress and declining participation in community activities.

Sociologist Jason Schnittker of the University of Pennsylvania explained that anxiety levels have gradually increased across generations throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Growing distrust, economic pressure and social isolation all contribute to a persistent sense of unease in modern life.

• Social media increasingly shapes how young people approach mental health treatment — One striking trend described in the report involves the role of digital platforms in mental health decisions. Many influencers openly discuss anxiety and medication online, which has reduced stigma around seeking treatment.

However, this environment also fuels self-diagnosis and quick access to prescriptions through telehealth services. A study cited in the article found that about one-third of teenagers now obtain mental health information from social media.² For many young people, the internet has become their first stop when they try to understand anxiety symptoms.

1. Move your body every day and treat exercise as medicine — Physical activity ranks among the most powerful anxiety and depression remedies available. Research consistently shows that regular exercise reduces depression symptoms as effectively as antidepressant medication and psychotherapy for many adults, yet it does so without the burden of prescription side effects.³

Movement increases endorphins and other brain chemicals that stabilize mood and lower stress hormones. If you're new to exercise, start with a brisk 10-minute walk daily — fast enough that you can talk but not sing. Add five minutes each week until you reach 60 minutes. Add in strength training twice a week and mind-body exercise, such as yoga, as well. Track your activity like a challenge and watch your confidence grow as your stamina improves.

2. Train your nervous system with slow breathing — Anxiety speeds up your breathing and keeps your body trapped in a stress loop. Slow breathing interrupts that loop and helps manage anxiety.⁴ When you inhale through your nose and extend your exhale, your nervous system shifts out of fight-or-flight mode.

Try a simple pattern: inhale slowly for four seconds, pause briefly, then exhale for six seconds. Repeat for five minutes. If your mind races during stressful moments or before sleep, this breathing rhythm quickly settles your nervous system.

3. Limit your exposure to social media and constant digital stimulation — Modern anxiety often begins with the endless stream of alarming headlines, arguments and comparisons on social media. Your brain treats those signals as threats even though they appear on a screen. If you notice anxiety spikes after scrolling, reduce exposure.

Set a strict time window for social media once or twice per day — or less. When you feel the urge to scroll, replace it with a five-minute walk outside, a few pages of a book, or a text to a friend making plans to meet in person.

4. Support your gut health to calm your nervous system — Your gut and brain are in constant two-way communication through the vagus nerve — a direct line that carries signals about inflammation, stress and immune activity from your digestive tract straight to your brain's anxiety centers. When your gut environment is disrupted, those signals shift toward alarm, and your nervous system stays locked in a heightened state.

This gut-brain axis explains why digestive problems and anxiety so frequently appear together, and why fixing your gut often quiets your mind. The foundation of gut repair starts with removing what's damaging it. If you eat out frequently or consume processed foods, you're likely taking in excessive amounts of linoleic acid (LA) from seed oils like sunflower, safflower, soybean and canola. These oils disrupt mitochondrial function and wreck your gut environment.

Avoid processed foods and switch to grass fed butter, ghee or tallow instead. From there, optimize your carbohydrate intake — your body needs about 250 grams daily to maintain cellular energy production.

Start with easily digestible sources like whole fruit or white rice, especially if your gut is compromised, and add fiber gradually to avoid triggering endotoxin release. Once the foundation is stable, add fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and plain yogurt to further support a gut environment that keeps your brain's threat signals in check.

5. Protect your sleep and restore your daily rhythm — Poor sleep destabilizes the brain systems that regulate mood and emotional control. When sleep becomes fragmented or shortened, your brain's threat centers become more reactive and anxiety intensifies.

Protect your sleep by keeping a consistent bedtime, turning off screens at least an hour before bed and exposing your eyes to natural daylight early in the morning. That daily light signal resets your internal clock and improves both sleep quality and emotional resilience.

6. Strengthen your real-world connections and reduce isolation — Human connection acts as a natural buffer against anxiety. Isolation, which increased sharply during pandemic lockdowns and through heavy digital engagement, amplifies stress signals in your brain.

If you spend large portions of the day alone or online, make deliberate changes. Schedule regular in-person conversations, join group activities, walk with a friend or participate in community events. These interactions provide emotional grounding that stabilizes your nervous system and lowers chronic anxiety.