Anxiety Resources
If you’re experiencing anxiety, it’s important to know that you’re not alone and that anxiety is treatable.
Below is a list of anxiety resources for more information and support.
Anxiety Resources
No Panic – No panic offers advice, support, recovery programs and help for people living with phobias, OCD and any other anxiety-based disorders.
Mental Health America – Mental Health America (MHA) – founded in 1909 – is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans.
National Institute of Mental Health – The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is the lead federal agency for research on mental disorders. NIMH is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest biomedical research agency in the world. NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Verywell Mind (Social Anxiety Resources) – Verywell Mind is a trusted and compassionate online resource that provides the guidance you need to improve your mental health and find balance. Their library of more than 4,000 pieces of content, created and refined over the past 20+ years, has been written by more than 100 healthcare professionals and industry experts including experienced doctors, therapists, and social workers, and then vetted by board-certified physicians.
Black Dog Institute – The Black Dog Institute is a translational research institute that aims to reduce the incidence of mental illness and the stigma around it, to actively reduce suicide rates and empower everyone to live the most mentally healthy lives possible.
American Psychological Association – APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with more than 115,700 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students as its members.
Anxiety Alliance – Run by former anxiety sufferers. Offers fact sheets, self-help booklets, relaxation audio tapes and CD’s, books and telephone and online self-help groups.
Blogs on Anxiety
Anxiety Slayer – Anxiety Slayer is run by award-winning podcasters Shann and Ananga. They’re authors, anxiety coaches, and have a podcast. On the blog, they’ve created an online haven designed to help you find peace and tranquility in your life. Do so through a variety of anxiety-releasing exercises and supportive tools. Points covered in each podcast are smartly laid out so you can choose the right content for your needs.
The Anxiety Network – Thomas A. Richards, Ph.D., created the Anxiety and Stress Clinic in 1995. The Anxiety Network is its online counterpart. It focuses on panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and social anxiety disorder. But conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), selective mutism, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are also included. The website and blog feature a great mix of general information, self-help tips, forums, quizzes, and more.
Time To Change – This is a space that originated as a “growing social movement” aimed at “changing how we all think and act about mental health.” It features user-submitted personal stories about anxiety, as well as mental health resources and ways to get involved.
Anxiety-Schmanxiety – Tanya J. Peterson, MS, NCC, writes Anxiety-Schmanxiety, the Healthy Place blog for people with anxiety. She’s a counselor who lives with anxiety herself. This makes her posts a great mix of personal and professional, with topics ranging from causes and stigmas to checklists for controlling anxiety and panic attacks. Guest posts offer another perspective on anxiety disorders, making this a blog with a lot of insight.
Anxiety Coach – Dave Carbonell, PhD, is a psychologist specializing in the treatment of anxiety and phobias. This website and blog serve as a forum for his expertise. Readers can even browse free chapters of his book, “Panic Attacks Workbook,” learn more about exposure therapy, discover self-help strategies, and much more.
The Worry Games – Living with anxiety for more than 20 years makes AnnaLisa Scott highly relatable and inspiring to those on a similar path. She shares her personal experiences with anxiety and OCD frankly and openly. Posts delve into useful pointers and tips, statistics, and reviews.
ACN Latitudes – The Association for Comprehensive Neurotherapy (ACN) is a nonprofit organization focusing on natural treatments for many disorders. ACN Latitudes has become a trusted online source for information. Its anxiety section features articles from a variety of authors, including many neurotherapy experts. They cover topics ranging from supplements to self-care strategies. Note: Some content requires a premium membership.
The Anxiety Guy – A certified cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) coach, Dennis Simsek is a top-ranked self-help podcaster. On the blog, he shares his knowledge about the causes of anxiety. Dennis lives with chronic anxiety himself, which makes his podcasts both authentic and helpful. Topics include the role of diet, dealing with stress, treatment options, how to speak to a partner with anxiety, and more.
The Butterfly Mother – Laura created this blog as a place to share her thoughts, feelings, and experiences as a new mother living with postpartum depression and anxiety. It’s become a forum to promote and support mental health, emotional well-being, and self-care. It will especially resonate with parents. Look for a mix of personal posts, mental health tips, and self-help content.
Beautiful Voyager – This space is dedicated to the overthinkers, and it’s filled with thoughtful articles addressing anxiety from many different angles. Posts have included a poem about how anxiety affects the body, how to deal with an anxious boss, and a discussion of automatic negative thoughts. The site also offers a section dedicated to things you can use to manage anxiety, including breathing techniques, meditation, and even hugging.
Apps that Help with Anxiety
Anxiety Free – Anxiety Free (iOS only ) is a self-hypnosis app that aims to help people learn techniques to relax and subconsciously have more peaceful thoughts. Donald MacKinnon, who developed the app, is a clinic-based hypnotherapy practitioner. It’s part of the iCan hypnosis method, which MacKinnon has used to help many people conquer anxiety.
Accupressure: Heal Yourself – Available for both iOS and Android. You don’t have to see a professional to take advantage of the benefits of acupressure for anxiety. This massage technique uses your fingers to push pressure points on the body to ease body tension. Learn how to perform self-acupressure with over 90-point combinations to help relieve anxiety, pain, and other common conditions. The instructions use illustrations to show exactly where to find a pressure point and how to massage it to press away stress in your body.
The Worry Box – The Worry Box® is a cognitive-behavioral therapy application (app) developed by the company Excel At Life, LLC for people who experience anxiety and worry. It teaches you how to assess whether a worry you have is important or not, or something you can or cannot control. When using the app, you learn how to identify irrational thoughts when faced with stress and anxiety, and you are coached through exercises aimed at learning how to decrease negative thinking and “let go” of the worry.
Stop Panic & Anxiety – The Stop Panic & Anxiety app (Android only) uses Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) techniques to help if you’re suffering from a Panic Disorder. It concentrates on managing the symptoms of anxiety with audio recordings to help you relax, along with Panic Assistance sessions to talk you through any panic attacks by focusing your attention.
The audio sessions include Mindful Grounding, so you can focus on your immediate environment rather than feelings of panic, 50 tools for Exposure Methods, so you gradually learn to cope in stressful situations, and sessions to improve your rational thinking. Color therapy is used, so you associate certain colors with specific emotions and improve control by imagining the colors flowing through you.
There’s also an Anxiety Diary so you can monitor your symptoms over time. Over seven screens you select the emotions and intensity that you experienced, how distressed you were, your thoughts, and irrational beliefs. The app then uses CBT to repeat rational statements, to challenge your irrational fears until they become weaker.
Calm – Calm offers help with one of eight goals, including Better Sleep, Improve Focus and Learn to Meditate. If you select Reduce Anxiety. For guided meditations, an annual subscription is required (paid as a small monthly fee), but there are also five free features available; the most simple is a circular animation for breath control that can help with a panic attack. You can adjust the timing for between four and eight breaths per minute, and you can set reminders to complete a mindfulness session every day.
Fast Calm – Fast Calm (iOS only) uses visual exercises to help you control your breathing, focusing your attention away from feelings of panic and worrying thoughts. You follow a dot around the screen starting at the bottom, breathe in as the dot moves upwards and then hold your breath as it goes across the top. As the dot goes down you breathe out, and then hold your breath again as it moves along the bottom.
The speed of your breath is adjusted with the + and – buttons, and there’s a series of attractive landscapes scenes to look at that change after each sequence of breathing. It’s simple but effective.
Relax & Rest Guided Meditations – The Meditation Oasis app aims to help you meditate so you then reduce your stress and anxiety. It features three guided meditations so you can re-center yourself as needed. It also features high-quality nature sounds to relax you, which can be played with the meditations or alone.
Self Help for Anxiety Management – To cope with and overcome anxiety, it often begins by looking within. Use the self-help techniques in this app to build a personal toolkit to help with your anxiety. Monitor your stress levels or triggers and connect with the community to gain support. This app can help you discover how to manage your anxiety.
Headspace – Headspace is a great way to learn more about meditation and start a regular practice. For 10 minutes a day for 10 days, you’ll practice guided exercises and learn about meditation. Like it? Then subscribe for a monthly or annual subscription and access more meditation exercises, including ones dedicated to anxiety and depression.
Worry Watch – Discover more about your anxiety patterns and learn how to overcome a lifestyle of worry. Log your anxieties, find out what triggers them, analyze your worries, and find out how to change the way you process stressors. This app will help you see if your initial worry was as bad as you first perceived it to be and help you get perspective.
Moods – Discover what you’re feeling throughout your day using Moods (iOS only) to manage your anxiety levels. This app provides an easy way to log various emotions and the triggers that cause stress and anxiety. This can help you identify things that set your body into the fight-or-flight response and respond with healthy coping mechanisms that can reduce your anxiety.
Stop, Breathe, & Think – Put the power of mindfulness to work to help ease your anxiety. Stop, Breathe & Think is free to use for the foundational meditations and you can purchase a subscription to buy more content. It also offers two options for a premium membership that will unlock 85+ premium activities and features. Track how you feel before and after meditation, and view yoga videos.
Colorfy – Harness the power of creativity to alleviate anxiety. Whether you’re stressed or in a full-blown panic attack, Colorfy offers a fun way to get your mind off of things. It features an augmented reality function so you can view your pictures in a real-world perspective. Need to wind down? Just color! For weekly updates, you can even subscribe to a paid plan.
Breathe 2 Relax – Breathe2Relax is a stress management tool that helps you learn diaphragmatic breathing. This can break that awful fight-or-flight response that so many people experience when they have a panic attack. The breathing exercises also aid in mood stabilization, anger control, and overall anxiety management. View the different areas of the body that can hold on to stress, and use breathing to let go of it.
Books & Workbooks on Anxiety
Books & Workbooks on Anxiety
- The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund Bourne, Ph.D.
- Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers
- Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom by Rick Hanson
- The Gift of Fear : Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin de Becker
- The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have by Mark Nepo
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
- The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times by Pema Chodron
- Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous and Independent Children by Reid Wilson, Ph.D. and Lynn Lyons LICSW
Books on Mindfulness
- Full Catastrophe Living: How to Cope with Stress, Pain and Illness Using Mindfulness Meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing by Caroline Myss, Ph.D.
- The Book of Not Knowing: Exploring the True Nature of Self, Mind, and Consciousness by Peter Ralston
- How to Relax by Thich Nhat Hanh
- The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive by Kristin Neff, Ph.D., and Christopher Germer, Ph.D.
- The Power of Self-Compassion: Using Compassion-Focused Therapy to End Self-Criticism and Build Self-Confidence by Mary Welford, DClinPsy
- Hidden Treasure: How to Break Free of Five Patterns that Hide Your True Self by Alice McDowell, Ph.D.
- Mindfulness for Mothers: Staying Calm and Present while Caring for your Child by Rebecca Ryan
- Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence by Daniel J. Siegel, MD
For Parents: Books to Read with Children with Anxiety
- What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety by Dawn Huebner and Bonnie Matthews
- A Smart Girl’s Guide: Worry: How to Feel Less Stressed and Have More Fun by Nancy Holyoke and Judy Woodburn
- From Worrier to Warrior: A Guide to Conquering Your Fears and Make Your Worrier a Warrior: A Guide to Conquering Your Child’s Fears by Dan Peters
- Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
- Hey Warrior by Karen Young
- Teenie Weenie in a Too Big World: A Story for Fearful Children by Margot Sunderland
- Up and Down the Worry Hill: A Children’s Book about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and its Treatment by Aureen Pinto Wagner, Ph.D.
- Breathe with Me: Using Breath to Feel Strong, Calm, and Happy by Mariam Gates and Sarah Jane Hinder
- Starving the Anxiety Gremlin for Children Aged 5-9: A Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Workbook on Anxiety Management by Kate Collins-Donnelly
- Don’t Feed the WorryBug by Andi Green
- Wilma Jean the Worry Machine by Julia Cook
- The Scaredy Squirrel series by Mélanie Watt
- Outsmarting Worry: An Older Kid’s Guide to Managing Anxiety by Dawn Heubner
- Black Dog by Levi Pinfold
- Fraidyzoo by Thyra Heder
- When Worry Takes Hold by Liz Hawke
- Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna
- The Worry Workbook for Kids: Helping Children to Overcome Anxiety and the Fear of Uncertainty by Muniya S. Khanna, Ph.D., and Deborah Roth Ledley, Ph.D.
- The Anxiety Workbook for Kids: Take Charge of Fears and Worries Using the Gift of Imagination by Robin Alter, Ph.D. CPsych, and Crystal Clarke, MSW RSW
- The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook for Kids: Help for Children to Cope with Stress, Anxiety, and Transitions by Lawrence E. Shapiro, Ph.D., and Robin K. Sprague
Books for Teens with Anxiety
- The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness Skills to Help You Deal with Stress by Gina Biegel, MA LMFT (she also has an iPhone app called Take a Chill)
- The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens: CBT Skills to Help You Deal with Worry and Anxiety by Michael A. Tompkins, Ph.D. ABPP, Jonathan R. Barkin, PsyD
- The Anxiety Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Deal with Anxiety and Worry by Lisa M. Schab LCSW
- The Perfectionism Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Reduce Anxiety and Get Things Done by Ann Marie Dobosz MA MFT
- The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens: CBT Skills to Overcome Fear, Worry, and Panic by Jennifer Shannon, LMFT
- Mindfulness for Teen Worry: Quick and Easy Strategies to Let Go of Anxiety, Worry, and Stress by Jeffrey Bernstein, Ph.D.
- The Panic Workbook for Teens: Breaking the Cycle of Fear, Worry, and Panic Attacks by Debra Kissen, Ph.D. MHSA, Bari Goldman Cohen, Ph.D., and Kathi Fine Abitbol Ph.D.
- The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens: CBT and ACT Skills to Help You Build Social Confidence by Jennifer Shannon, LMFT
Books & Resources for Parents to Read about Anxiety
- AnxietyCanada.com – this website is designed to help parents and their anxious children. Here, you will find practical strategies and tools to help you manage your child’s anxiety, whether your child is just beginning to show symptoms, or has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
- The Opposite of Worry: The Playful Parenting Approach to Childhood Anxieties and Fears by Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D.
- Anxiety Relief for Kids: On-the-Spot Strategies to Help Your Child Overcome Worry, Panic, and Avoidance by Bridget Flynn Walker, Ph.D.
- Helping Your Anxious Child: A Step-By-Step Guide for Parents by Ronald M. Rapee, Ph.D., Ann Wignall, D Psych, Susan H. Spence, Ph.D., Vanessa Cobham, Ph.D., and Heidi Lyneham, Ph.D.
- Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous and Independent Children by Reid Wilson, Ph.D., and Lynn Lyons LICSW
- Freeing Your Child From Anxiety: Practical Strategies to Overcome Fears, Worries, and Phobias and Be Prepared for Life – from Toddlers to Teens by Tamar Chansky, Ph.D.
- The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.