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Generalized Anxiety Disorder

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalised anxiety disorder in adults
By Research Staff
Generalized Anxiety Disorder



Living with generalized anxiety disorder can be a long-term challenge. In many cases, it occurs along with other anxiety or mood disorders. In most cases, generalized anxiety disorder improves with psychotherapy or medications. Making lifestyle changes, learning coping skills and using relaxation techniques also can help.

Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms can vary. They may include:

. Overthinking plans and solutions to all possible worst-case outcomes
. Perceiving situations and events as threatening, even when they aren't
. Difficulty handling uncertainty
. Indecisiveness and fear of making the wrong decision
. Inability to set aside or let go of a worry
. Inability to relax, feeling restless, and feeling keyed up or on edge
. Difficulty concentrating, or the feeling that your mind "goes blank"
Physical signs and symptoms may include:

. Fatigue
. Trouble sleeping
. Muscle tension or muscle aches
. Trembling, feeling twitchy
. Nervousness or being easily startled
. Sweating
. Nausea, diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome
. Irritability


Causes of and risk factors for GAD may include:

. a family history of anxiety
. recent or prolonged exposure to stressful situations, including personal or family illnesses
. excessive use of caffeine or tobacco, which can make existing anxiety worse
. childhood abuse




If you have been treated previously for an anxiety disorder, be prepared to tell the doctor what treatment you tried. If it was a medication, it is helpful for the doctor to know the dosage, how long you took it for, and whether it was gradually increased. If you had psychotherapy, it's also helpful to share the type of psychotherapy, how often you attended sessions, and what you felt did or did not help. People often believe they have "failed" at treatment, or that the treatment has failed them, when in fact it was never given an adequate trial or may have been a poor fit as far as treatment choice.

When you undergo treatment for an anxiety disorder, you and your health professional will be working together as a team. Together, you will attempt to find the approach that is best for you. If one treatment doesn't work, the odds are good that another one will. Additionally, new treatments are continually being developed through research.


Generalized Anxiety Disorder