Anxiety disorders can lead to a pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors known as the anxiety cycle. It’s a four-stage process of initial anxiety, avoidance, short-lived relief, and magnified anxiety.
While avoidance can bring some temporary relief from worry, it actually reinforces anxiety in the long term.
Treatments like therapy, self-management, and medication (if needed) can help interrupt the anxiety cycle.
Anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health conditions, affecting millions of people across the U.S. [1] each day. Their primary symptom is chronic, severe worry or panic about something negative that could happen in the future.
We all experience moments of worry from time to time. But that’s not the same as having an anxiety disorder. People with clinical anxiety experience fears that are so intense that they affect their ability to function in daily life.
Anxiety disorders tend to create a series of predictable thoughts, feelings, and behaviors called the anxiety cycle [2]. This pattern can reinforce feelings of anxiety over time. Learning more about each part of the cycle can help you identify the signs, interrupt them when they’re happening, and know when to seek professional help.
Anxiety cycle stages
The cycle of anxiety includes four main stages. These include:
The care you need, when you need it
Learn how Rula can support your mental health journey
Onset of anxiety
In the first stage of the cycle, a person’s anxiety is triggered. They’ll start worrying about an unwanted future outcome.
For example, Shiloh has a history of medical anxiety. But he’s required to get an annual physical exam for his job. Today, when he checks his email, he sees a reminder to schedule an appointment with his doctor. Immediately, his anxiety spikes. The mere thought of entering a medical facility makes him physically nauseated.
Avoidance
In this stage, a person will try to distance themselves from whatever is triggering their anxiety to hopefully find relief.
For Shiloh’s situation, this might look like him deleting the email from his doctor’s office. He tells himself he’ll make the appointment tomorrow and chooses to focus on another task instead.
Short-term relief
Following avoidance, the feelings of anxiety may initially fade. However, this relief is only temporary.
For example, after deleting his doctor’s email, Shiloh feels a little more relaxed. Ignoring the task puts some mental and emotional distance between himself and the source of his anxiety. But unfortunately, in doing so, he’s training his brain to see avoidance as relief. So it’s more likely he’ll engage in this unhelpful coping strategy in the future.
Long-term reinforcement
Avoidance usually can’t last forever. So, in this stage, the person is forced to confront whatever made their anxiety flare in the first place. Previous avoidance can make anxiety feel all the more intense at this stage.
For Shiloh, he knows that his employment requires his annual physical. So when he gets another reminder email a week later, his anxiety is worse than ever. Panic sets in when he realizes that avoidance isn’t a solution, and he has to confront his fears to keep his job.
Triggers that start the anxiety loop
Anxiety triggers are personal. What starts the anxiety loop for one person might not affect others in the same way. Almost any dread or fear-inducing sensation, thought, feeling, memory, or stressor can start the cycle.
Sometimes it can feel like anxiety shows up seemingly out of nowhere. That’s why it’s so important to learn to identify your personal triggers. If you can increase your awareness of what sets your anxiety off, you can take steps to intervene and prevent the cycle from taking hold.
Tips to interrupt the anxiety cycle
If the anxiety cycle sounds familiar, know that you can escape it with the right support. Anxiety disorders are treatable mental health conditions.
Some of the most common treatments for anxiety include:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): In CBT, a therapist will help you identify your anxiety triggers and the unhelpful thoughts that fuel worry. Then, they’ll work with you to reframe those thoughts and replace them with healthier ones. They’ll also help you learn coping skills to manage anxiety once the cycle has begun, like grounding exercises, breath work, and more.
Exposure and response prevention (ERP): ERP is a type of CBT that helps reduce anxiety by building tolerance for uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, or situations. With a therapist’s support, you gradually face triggers instead of avoiding them. Over time, this helps your brain learn that anxiety is manageable and doesn’t have to control your choices.
Medication: Some people may benefit from medication as part of their anxiety disorder treatment plan. You can talk to a doctor or a psychiatric care provider to determine if that’s the right choice for you. Typically, medication is used alongside therapy when treating anxiety.
Self-management strategies: While they can’t take the place of professional help, you can do some things on your own to manage anxiety [3]. This may include prioritizing sleep, eating balanced meals, spending time with friends, creating routines, being creative, getting regular exercise, and more.
Many people try to overcome anxiety by pushing harder or ignoring it. But white-knuckling usually keeps the cycle going. When you respond with steadiness instead of force, anxiety often begins to lose its grip.
Brandy Chalmers, LPC
Clinical reviewer
Find care with Rula
The anxiety cycle is a four-stage pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that often accompany a clinical anxiety disorder. It typically involves an initial anxiety trigger, avoidance, temporary relief, and worsening anxiety over time.
It’s possible to interrupt the anxiety cycle with professional support. With self-care, medication (if needed), and therapy, you can reduce the impact of triggers, reframe unhelpful thoughts, confront your fears, and get your anxiety under better control.
At Rula, we’re here to help you feel better. Rula makes it easy to find a licensed therapist or psychiatric provider who takes your insurance. That way, you don’t have to choose between great care and a price you can afford.
Rula patients pay about $15 per session with insurance, and 93% say they feel better after getting care through Rula. We have 21,000+ providers, and appointments are available as soon as tomorrow. We’re here to help you take the next step — wherever you are in your mental health journey.
References
- Anxiety Disorders - Facts & Statistics https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics
- Anxiety – reversing the vicious cycle https://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/Anxiety-reversing-the-vicious-cycle
- Generalized anxiety disorder - self-care https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000685.htm
Liz Talago
Liz Talago, M.ed. is a mental health professional turned content writer and strategist based in the Detroit metro area. As an independent consultant for mental health organizations, Liz creates meaningful connections between brands and their audiences through strategic storytelling. Liz is known for championing diverse perspectives within the mental health industry and translating bold ideas into inspiring, affirming digital experiences.
In her free time, you can find her hiking with her two German Shepherds, puttering around her dahlia garden, or spending time with her family.
Brandy Chalmers, LPC
Having faced challenges like childhood abuse, neglect, and the loss of her father to suicide, Brandy Chalmers is deeply passionate about providing compassionate care. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and Registered Play Therapist with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy.
Brandy also teaches at a university, sharing her expertise with future mental health professionals. With over a decade of experience in settings like inpatient care and private practice, she specializes in helping clients with perfectionism, trauma, personality disorders, eating disorders, and life changes.
Rula’s editorial process
Rula’s editorial team is on a mission to make science-backed mental health insights accessible and practical for every person seeking to better understand or improve mental wellness.
Members of Rula’s clinical leadership team and other expert providers contribute to all published content, offering guidance on themes and insights based on their firsthand experience in the field. Every piece of content is thoroughly reviewed by a clinician before publishing.
