After a grueling year of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation to treat breast cancer, Sadia Zapp found anxiety no longer a manageable hum but a deeper, more distracting force.

“Every little ache, like my knee hurts,” she said, made her worry that “this is the end of the road for me.”

Like millions of Americans facing persistent worry after illness, she turned to an anxiety medication, selecting Lexapro as her first line of defense. “I love it. It’s been great,” she said. “It’s really helped me manage.”

National health data show anxiety medication use rising steadily, with the share of adults taking such drugs increasing from 11.7% in 2019 to 14.3% in 2024. That’s eight million more people, bringing the total to roughly 38 million, with sharp increases among young adults, those with a college degree, and individuals who identify as LGBTQ+.

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Despite broad acceptance of psychiatric medications, a backlash has formed among some health advocates who question the safety and scope of SSRI use. “The statements about SSRIs were just not grounded in any sort of evidence or fact,” Kelly said of Kennedy’s comments.

Clinicians and researchers maintain that SSRIs such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Lexapro remain frontline treatments for generalized anxiety and related disorders, and that concerns are often overstated.

A recent comprehensive study showed that over half of people with generalized anxiety disorder taking an SSRI saw their anxiety symptoms reduced by at least 50%. Side effects prompted about 1 in 12 to stop taking an SSRI.

When used properly and in combination with appropriate therapy techniques, SSRIs can be really, really helpful, according to specialists like Emily Wood. “When it’s being done right and when you’re also using appropriate therapy techniques, SSRIs can be really, really helpful,” said Wood, a psychiatrist who practices in Los Angeles.

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Supporters of MAHA have pointed to lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise as drivers of anxiety trends and have urged measures to reduce ultraprocessed foods and screen time in favor of physical activity and social engagement.

Psychiatrists emphasize that lifestyle changes and talk therapy are valuable adjuncts, with cognitive behavioral therapy proving effective for many anxiety disorders.

“Anxiety disorders are amongst our psychiatric disorders that really respond well to cognitive behavioral therapy,” she said.

Even as the lifestyle picture is debated, many patients benefit from medication when anxiety becomes chronic.

Studies show the risks of taking SSRIs during pregnancy are low for mother and child. Wood said that depression increases the risk for every complication for both mother and baby, and recent statements by government officials about SSRI use during pregnancy are “potentially leading to real harm for these women.”

Stopping antidepressants can produce withdrawal symptoms, but proponents say addiction is not a correct framing for these medications.

“Some people who stop taking antidepressant medication will experience nausea, insomnia, or other symptoms, especially if they quit suddenly. But “the concept of addiction simply does not apply to these chemicals,” Kelly said, a statement backed up by studies.

Benzodiazepines, while effective for short term relief, require careful oversight and are not ideal for long term use.

“Those are really great meds for acute anxiety and not great as long-term anxiety medications, because they are habit-forming over time,” Wood said. “If you’re taking them on a daily basis, you’ll need more and more to get the same effect, and then you have to come down from them in a tapered way.”

Beta-blockers can cause dizziness and fatigue, but they are nonaddictive, really helpful for bringing down the autonomic nervous system, going from fight or flight to something more neutral, and really safe, Wood said.

“It definitely helped me get back to my day-to-day in a way that was productive and not just riddled with my anxieties throughout the day,” she said.

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