WHAT’S THE HOLDUP? WHY SO MANY OF US WHO SUFFER FROM ANXIETY DRAG OUR HEELS WHEN IT COMES TO SEEKING TREATMENT.

WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE: There’s something we should be doing, but, for a litany of little reasons, we feel stressed out about it, so we just... don’t. (Hi, cancelled dentist appointment.) As it turns out, this dread applies to therapy too.

According to recent research from Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, it’s quite common for people with certain types of anxiety disorders to avoid treatment. The study’s 226 participants were asked to measure the severity of their symptoms and identify barriers to seeking treatment. The results were what you’d expect: The more severe someone’s anxiety, the more difficult entering therapy seems to feel.

“A hallmark of generalized anxiety disorder is that people tend to worry in excessive and uncontrollable ways,” says Dr. Elizabeth Goetter, a clinical psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and co-author of the paper. “That in itself can create a barrier to getting treatment.” Other barriers identified in the study include shame and stigma, financial burdens and even simply not knowing where to go for help.

So, what can be done? Well, more outreach and awareness—not just about mental illness but about what services are available—for one. (If you struggle with social anxiety or are concerned about stigma, for example, online therapy may be a good place to start.)

The province of Ontario’s plan to introduce free therapy for those suffering from depression and anxiety is also a step in the right direction. “It’s about changing the stigma, which has to happen on a broader level,” says Goetter. “When a society determines that its members should have access to free mental-health care, you convey a message of value and normalization around it. That could be enormously beneficial.”