RFK Jr. Questions Anxiety Medications as More Americans Seek Mental Health Treatment
Anxiety has become one of the defining health challenges of modern American life, and the medical system's primary answer remains a prescription pad. Federal data show that millions more adults now take anxiety medication than just five years ago, a trend that has drawn both public attention and political scrutiny.
The medications at the center of this debate work by altering brain chemistry to quiet the persistent worry, racing thoughts, and tension that define anxiety disorders. For some patients, the drugs deliver relief. But they also carry side effects that push a significant number of people to stop treatment, and growing questions about dependency, safety, and overprescription have reached the highest levels of government.
Story at-a-glance
- Anxiety medication use in the U.S. has risen sharply, with about 38 million adults now taking drugs for anxiety — roughly 8 million more than in 2019 — reflecting a major shift in how mental health symptoms are treated
- U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised concerns about the expanding use of psychiatric medications and directed federal officials to examine behavioral risks and withdrawal challenges linked to anxiety drugs
- Commonly prescribed antidepressants called SSRIs carry risks of side effects such as fatigue, brain fog, stomach upset, and sexual dysfunction that cause many patients to stop taking them
- Certain anxiety medications, particularly benzodiazepines such as Xanax, carry clearer risks of dependency because the body builds tolerance over time and higher doses are required to produce the same calming effect
- Lifestyle changes that address the root drivers of anxiety — including regular exercise, slow breathing techniques, reduced social media exposure, better sleep habits, and stronger social connections — improve emotional resilience without medication side effects
