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Anxiety

Anxiety support, from the first panicky night to ongoing therapy

Anxiety is the most common mental-health difficulty in India and one of the least treated. Part of the reason is that it hides well: people function, deliver, and hold families together while running a constant background alarm.

You do not need a diagnosis to get help here. You can start with a free screening, a conversation with the companion, or a session with a verified therapist — in that order or any other.

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  • Free GAD-7 screening
  • 10 Indian languages
  • Verified therapists
  • Crisis lines on every screen

How anxiety usually shows up

  • Worry that jumps to the worst outcome and stays there
  • Physical symptoms: racing heart, tight chest, nausea, restlessness
  • Avoiding calls, travel, or situations you used to manage
  • Reassurance that helps for an hour and then wears off
  • Sleep that breaks at 3am with the mind already running

What treatment looks like

  1. 1

    Screen first

    GAD-7 takes two minutes and gives a severity band. It is the same instrument clinicians use, and it makes the next conversation far more concrete.

  2. 2

    Learn what to do during a spike

    Grounding and paced breathing do not cure anxiety, but they keep a spike from becoming a panic attack and rebuild your confidence that it passes.

  3. 3

    Treat the pattern, usually with CBT

    Cognitive behavioural therapy has the strongest evidence base for anxiety disorders. Most people see meaningful change within eight to twelve sessions.

If you are having panic attacks

A panic attack peaks within about ten minutes and is not dangerous, however convincing the chest tightness is. Slow the exhale, put your feet flat on the floor, and name five things you can see.

Recurrent panic attacks respond very well to treatment, and the earlier you start, the less avoidance builds up around the places where they happened.

Talking to family about it

In many Indian households, anxiety gets translated into 'tension' or 'weakness'. That framing makes people hide symptoms for years.

It often helps to describe function rather than feeling: 'I'm not sleeping and I can't concentrate at work' lands where 'I have anxiety' does not.

Anxiety: common questions

What is a normal GAD-7 score?
0-4 is minimal, 5-9 mild, 10-14 moderate and 15-21 severe. A score of 10 or above is the usual threshold for discussing treatment with a professional. The screening is not a diagnosis.
Do I need medication for anxiety?
Not necessarily. Mild to moderate anxiety often responds to therapy alone. Medication is one option a psychiatrist may discuss for more severe or persistent presentations, usually alongside therapy rather than instead of it.
Can I speak to someone tonight?
The AI companion is available immediately, in ten languages. If you are in crisis, the crisis support page lists free 24×7 helplines including Tele-MANAS on 14416.
Is anything I say shared with my employer or family?
No. Your conversations, journal entries and assessment results are private to your account. Experts see only what you choose to tell them in session.

Explore related support on Saantvana

Each link below goes to a specific part of the platform, so you can pick the next step that fits where you are right now.

Take the first step in whichever order suits you

Talk to the companion, take a validated assessment, or book a verified expert. Everything except expert sessions is free, and nothing is shared with your employer or family.

Create a free accountSee how Saantvana works

Saantvana is not a substitute for emergency care. If you are in immediate danger, please use the India crisis helplines listed here, including Tele-MANAS on 14416.