It’s not only the unemployed who are feeling the sting of the economic downturn—the employed are feeling it, too, The New York Times reported yesterday. Anxiety, stress, and depression are leading some to seek counseling or medication for the first time. Experts say pervasive uncertainty is affecting many who have not suffered economic losses but are still feeling the effects of the recession—financial worries, family difficulties, sleeplessness, marital strife, and the fear of “losing everything.”

Americans are putting financial worries at the top of their list of anxieties, according to a poll last year by the American Psychological Association. And stressful times like these not only take a toll on your finances, but your emotional and physical health as well. Stress is now considered as much of a risk factor as excess weight, lack of exercise, and smoking for heart attack and stroke. It can also prompt unhealthy behaviors such as alcohol abuse, overeating, sleep deprivation, and smoking.

If stress is taking a toll on you, there are ways to control it through exercise, yoga, and other self-help measures. Or you can try formal stress-reduction programs such as mindfulness and meditation. If you think it’s more than stress, take our anxiety test to find out whether should see a doctor.

—Ginger Skinner

Read more on coping with stress, and see our Treatment Ratings (subscribers only) for anxiety and depression.