Anxiety in men is common, but it often looks different than you might expect. You may not feel “nervous” or “panicky” all the time, yet still be living with a level of tension and worry that affects your health, your relationships, and your work.
Understanding how anxiety in men can show up differently than it does in women can help you recognize what is really going on and decide what support you need.
What anxiety in men actually is
Anxiety disorders are not just occasional nerves. They are conditions where fear, worry, and dread are out of proportion to what is happening, and they start to interfere with your day-to-day life. The Cleveland Clinic notes that anxiety disorders affect children, adolescents, and adults, and women are about twice as likely as men to have them.
That statistic can make it sound like anxiety is mostly a “women’s issue.” It is not. Around 15% of men in the United States report symptoms of an anxiety disorder as of 2025, and in Australia about 1 in 5 men will experience anxiety at some point in their lives. Many will never call it anxiety or seek help, which is one reason it often flies under the radar.
You might notice psychological symptoms like racing thoughts and constant worry, or physical symptoms like a pounding heart and sweating. In men, those signs are sometimes misattributed to heart problems or other medical issues until anxiety is properly identified.
How anxiety shows up differently for you
Both men and women experience core anxiety symptoms such as excessive worry, restlessness, and trouble sleeping. However, research and clinical experience show that anxiety in men often has some distinct patterns.
Anger and irritability instead of tears
Culturally, men are often taught to hold back from crying or admitting fear. That pressure can push anxiety underground, where it comes out as frustration or anger instead.
You might notice that you:
- Snap at your partner or kids over small things
- Lose your temper in traffic or at work
- Feel a simmering sense of annoyance you cannot quite explain
Some men who bottle up their anxiety later have explosive outbursts that damage relationships or create problems at work or with the law. What looks like a “short fuse” is sometimes chronic, unaddressed worry and stress that has nowhere else to go.
Tension and body pain that does not go away
Anxiety is not only in your head. When you are on high alert for long periods, your muscles tighten and stay that way.
Clinical psychologist Valeria Martinez-Kaigi notes that anxiety in men often shows up as ongoing body pain, especially in the back, neck, and shoulders, because of constant physical tension. You might spend a lot of time and money checking out potential physical causes and still not get relief, simply because the root problem is anxiety and chronic stress rather than a structural injury.
Focusing on performance and success
Many men feel intense pressure to succeed and to provide. Anxiety can attach itself to those expectations and show up as:
- Feeling behind on your life goals
- Worrying that you are not doing enough for your family
- Seeing yourself as a failure, even when others think you are doing well
Performance anxiety related to sexual activity is another common, but rarely talked about, issue. Concerns about body image, relationship problems, worries about satisfying a partner, or comparing yourself negatively to other men can all feed into sexual performance anxiety. That can then create a cycle where anxiety makes performance harder, and performance issues create more anxiety.
Using anger, work, or substances to cope
Instead of saying “I am anxious,” you might find yourself working longer hours, drinking more, or retreating into hobbies or screens to escape how you feel.
Men with anxiety are more likely to rely on alcohol or non-prescription drugs as a coping mechanism. Society often encourages drinking as a way to unwind, while quietly discouraging the use of prescribed medication for anxiety. The result can be “hangxiety,” where after drinking you feel nervous, restless, and unable to relax.
You may also see an increase in risk taking, gambling, or reckless driving. On the surface, those might look like thrill seeking, but they can be attempts to distract yourself from uncomfortable thoughts and emotions.
Why anxiety hits men differently
Biology, personal history, and social expectations all play a part in anxiety in men.
Genetics can raise your risk. If anxiety or related conditions run in your family, you may be more likely to experience them. Stressful or traumatic experiences also play a role. Work stress, financial pressure, bereavement, or childhood abuse and neglect can all contribute.
Other health problems, like chronic pain or depression, often overlap with anxiety. In men, depression may not show up as obvious sadness. It can look like irritability, anger, increased alcohol or drug use, or pulling away from people. This overlap can make it harder for you or people close to you to pinpoint that anxiety is in the mix.
Lifestyle factors such as heavy drinking, drug use, poor sleep, and a lack of exercise can all increase anxiety and make it harder to manage. As anxiety grows, it can then push you toward more unhealthy coping habits, which creates a cycle that is tough to break alone.
How men and women experience anxiety compared
Large studies suggest that women are more likely than men to develop an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, with one analysis finding a lifetime ratio of about 1 man to 1.7 women. Women with anxiety are more likely to have other conditions such as major depression, bulimia nervosa, or an additional anxiety disorder.
Men with anxiety are more likely to have different types of co-occurring issues, including:
- Substance use disorders
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Intermittent explosive disorder
Interestingly, there are no major gender differences in the average age when anxiety starts or how long it tends to last. Both men and women can develop anxiety early or later in life, and both can experience long-term symptoms if they go untreated.
When it comes to impact, anxiety disorders in women are associated with more visits to doctors and emergency rooms and more missed workdays. Men, on the other hand, often do not show up in those healthcare statistics until physical complications or substance use problems appear.
The hidden health costs of anxiety in men
It might be tempting to see anxiety as “just mental,” but long-term anxiety can affect nearly every system in your body.
A 40 year study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association followed middle aged men over time. The researchers found that men who worried a lot or felt anxious were more likely to develop several cardiometabolic risk factors, including:
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
Men with high levels of anxiety and negative emotions were 13% more likely to have six or more cardiometabolic risk factors by age 65 compared to less stressed peers. Men who reported “worrying a great deal” had a 10% increased likelihood of accumulating that many risk factors. Over the course of the study, men developed about one new cardiometabolic risk factor per decade, and those with more worry consistently had more risk factors at every age.
This does not prove that anxiety alone causes heart disease or diabetes, but it does show a strong link between long term worry, physical health, and increased risk for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes as you age. The lead author, Lewina Lee, encourages men who often feel anxious or worried to monitor and proactively manage their heart health through regular checkups and preventive care.
Other research and clinical experience also link untreated anxiety with a higher risk of cardiac events like heart attacks, especially when it is combined with other factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, or heavy drinking.
When your anxiety is serious enough to get help
It can be hard to know where normal stress ends and an anxiety disorder begins. A useful rule of thumb is to look at intensity, duration, and impact.
You may want to seek professional help if:
- Your worry or fear has lasted more than a few weeks and is not improving
- You feel a constant sense of dread or impending doom
- Anxiety interferes with work, social life, or family responsibilities
- You avoid situations, people, or places because of anxiety
- You have trouble sleeping due to racing thoughts or physical tension
- You use alcohol or drugs more often to calm down or escape
In men, red flags can also include increased anger, reckless behavior, or physical symptoms that do not have a clear medical cause even after testing.
If you are having thoughts about harming yourself, or feel that life is not worth living, you need urgent support. Contact your local emergency number, a crisis line, or a trusted healthcare professional right away.
Effective treatment options for men
The good news is that anxiety in men is treatable. You do not have to live the rest of your life feeling on edge.
Therapy and structured programs
For severe anxiety that makes daily life extremely difficult, inpatient residential programs can provide intensive support for a period of time. These programs combine therapy, medical monitoring, and healthy routines to help you stabilize.
Many men do well with outpatient or day programs, which let you continue living at home while attending regular sessions. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective treatments for anxiety. It helps you:
- Understand how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact
- Challenge unhelpful thought patterns
- Build practical coping skills for situations that trigger anxiety
Mindfulness based therapies and other psychological treatments can also help retrain your brain’s response to stress.
Medication as one tool, not a crutch
Medication is not a sign of weakness, it is a tool some people use alongside therapy. Common options include:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), usually taken daily for long term anxiety
- Beta blockers, often used occasionally to manage the physical symptoms of performance or social anxiety
- Anxiolytics, which can provide short term relief in specific situations
A primary care provider or psychiatrist can help you decide whether medication is appropriate, monitor side effects, and adjust your treatment over time.
Everyday habits that support recovery
You can also use practical strategies to lower your day to day anxiety, such as:
- Journaling before bed to get worries out of your head and onto paper
- Mindfulness or breathing exercises to calm your nervous system
- Progressive muscle relaxation to release tension from your body
- Regular movement, even short walks, to reduce stress and improve sleep
- Limiting alcohol and recreational drugs, which often make anxiety worse over time
These are not replacements for professional help when you need it, but they are powerful additions to a treatment plan.
Anxiety in men is common, real, and treatable. You do not have to “tough it out” alone.
Taking your next step
If you recognize yourself in any of this, your next step does not have to be huge. You might start by:
- Bringing up your anxiety symptoms with your primary care provider
- Scheduling a consultation with a therapist
- Talking honestly with a trusted friend or partner about how you have been feeling
Anxiety in men often hides behind anger, work, or silence. Naming it is not a failure, it is a skill and a strength. The sooner you understand what is going on, the sooner you can get the right support and start feeling more steady in your own life.
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