How many years does anxiety take off your life?
Sarah Garza
Updated on March 29, 2026
Being under heavy stress shortens their life expectancy by 2.8 years. These results are based on a study in which researchers from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare calculated the effects of multiple risk factors, including lifestyle-related ones, to the life expectancy of men and women.
What age has the worst anxiety?
Adults ages 30 to 44 have the highest rate of anxiety of this age group, with around 23% of people this age reporting an anxiety disorder within the past year.
What happens if you have anxiety for a long time?
Long-term anxiety and panic attacks can cause your brain to release stress hormones on a regular basis. This can increase the frequency of symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and depression.
Can you live a long life with anxiety?
Research shows that overreacting, constantly worrying, and living in a state of perpetual anxiety can reduce life expectancy. 1 If this describes your typical response to everyday setbacks and snafus, it may pay in the very, very long run to learn ways to lighten up and lower stress.
Does severe anxiety shorten your life?
Sadly, chronic anxiety does more than affect your life quality. It can also significantly shorten your lifespan. Anxiety that’s experienced all of the time is also a doorway to drug or alcohol addiction. Many people who suffer from chronic anxiety use drugs or alcohol to promote feelings of relief.
Can you fully recover from anxiety?
Recovery is possible with appropriate treatment such as exposure therapy, attention training, and a range of anxiety management techniques that can help you manage your symptoms. You can learn the following strategies yourself (using books or taking courses, for example) or you can consult with a trained professional.
What are signs of bad anxiety?
Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:
- Feeling nervous, restless or tense.
- Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom.
- Having an increased heart rate.
- Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
- Sweating.
- Trembling.
- Feeling weak or tired.
- Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry.
What age does anxiety usually start?
The peak ages for anxiety are typically between the ages of 5-7 years old and adolescence. However, everyone is different, and your anxiety can peak at various times, depending on what triggers it initially. Merely feeling anxious is the body’s response to danger as the fight-or-flight hormone kicks in.
Has anyone ever died from anxiety?
Even though panic attacks can feel like a heart attack or other serious condition, it will not cause you to die. However, panic attacks are serious and need to be treated.