Everyone feels nervous or scared from time to time. However, when these feelings persist most days and disrupt your quality of life, it can signal an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders affect people from all walks of life, causing excessive worry, intense fear, and a constant feeling of being “on edge,” often without an explicable cause. 

The symptoms of anxiety can be debilitating for many people, interfering with daily activities and making it hard to stay on top of responsibilities. As such, those suffering will ask this question frequently: How long does anxiety last? 

If you, too, are seeking relief from an anxiety disorder or an anxiety attack, read on to learn how long these conditions last.

How long does anxiety last?

No one’s anxiety looks exactly the same and, as a result, the duration of anxiety can vary greatly from person to person. Anxiety can be short-lived, episodic, or long-term depending on the case.

Further, how long someone battles anxiety will depend on their type of anxiety disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety, for example, can last for several months or years. Anxiety that’s linked to trauma, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), tends to be longer-term and can become chronic when left untreated.

In general, most anxiety disorders can last months to years, depending on the condition and level of treatment involved. Meanwhile, episodes of anxiety – such as panic attacks – are much shorter-term. Panic attacks usually resolve within 30 minutes. Anxiety responses to specific phobias are situational, lasting as long as the exposure. Additionally, situational anxiety (as it relates to a specific stressor, like illness or a deadline) tends to be short-term, lasting weeks or months, until the situation stabilizes.

How long does an anxiety attack last?

If you’re battling generalized anxiety, you will likely experience the occasional “anxiety attack,” which feels like an overwhelming build-up of fear, worry, and tension that hits you like a brick. For many, an anxiety attack will get in the way of carrying out a day of responsibilities. It can last minutes, hours, or even days, depending on the case and the level of stress involved.

A panic attack is a more sudden and intense surge of anxiety and fear. It is often accompanied by physical symptoms like a racing heart, dizziness, shortness of breath, and an impending sense of doom. Panic attacks usually last between 5 and 30 minutes, but peak around the 10-minute mark. They are scary, but the good news is that they do pass quickly and are typically not dangerous.

Is anxiety a lifelong condition?

Anxiety can be lifelong when it’s left untreated. However, this is not typically the case. Research suggests that anxiety disorders are less common among older age groups (above age 65), indicating that anxiety disorders can in fact dissipate with age, over time.

With that said, however, receiving treatment for anxiety is highly recommended and essential. Professional treatment can greatly speed up your chances of recovery and alleviate the symptoms associated with ongoing anxiety conditions. With professional anxiety treatment, you can expect to learn healthy coping techniques, gain better control over negative thought patterns, challenge irrational behaviors and fears, and enjoy a higher quality of life. 

And according to experts at Mental Health America (MHA), the benefits can happen relatively fast. Most people start to feel better within a few months of getting treatment. More on this below.

How long will I be in treatment for anxiety?

Just as there is not a single timeline for anxiety disorders, there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach (or length) of treatment for anxiety. However, evidence shows that treatment can drastically speed up the recovery time for anxiety disorders. And, most people start to feel relief within a few weeks or months.

According to a study cited by JAMA Psychiatry, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was found to be significantly effective for anxiety with at least 3 to 12 months of treatment. However, an early reduction in anxiety symptoms was recorded within the first several weeks of therapy. Further, a study published by the National Library of Medicine, supports the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety, proving that CBT was moderately effective in treating anxiety disorders, compared to a placebo treatment. 

As stated previously, Mental Health America has also seen similar results, with regular sessions of psychotherapy leading people to feel better within 2 to 3 months. However, MHA notes that progress is gradual and a cure does not happen overnight. Those entering anxiety treatment should expect to see slow, steady growth, with a gradual build of resilience, confidence, optimism, coping strategies, and emotional regulation over the course of treatment. 

Anxiety treatment at Turnbridge

Turnbridge is a mental health treatment provider, specializing in the unique experiences of young adults and teenagers. With anxiety being one of the most prominent conditions among young people, we are well aware of the detrimental effects anxiety can have in your everyday life. If you are seeking help for anxiety and are eager to get on the road to recovery, do not hesitate to reach out. Turnbridge offers a variety of evidence-based therapies for anxiety, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which has been found most effective for teens with anxiety disorders.Call us at 877-581-1793 today or click here to learn more about anxiety treatment.