Heidi Combs, medical director of inpatient psychiatry at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, says anxiety is the No. 1 reason people come to primary care. She also says there is an increase in anxiety, which she attributes to a softening of supportive communities and to social media.  

The good news, however, is there are useful coping methods, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, and effective ways of managing stress. Combs is an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

See related story from Right as Rain: What to Say (and Not to Say) to Someone with Anxiety​