GAD (generalized anxiety disorder)

People with this disorder experience continual unrestrained and uncontrollable worry (even when no danger is present), to the extent that day-to-day activity and functioning can become impaired.

What is it?

An individual with GAD worries excessively about a wide range of issues and situations. Symptoms include “threat” reactions such as heart palpitations, trembling, sweating, irritability, restlessness, and headaches. GAD can also cause insomnia and difficulty in concentrating, making decisions, or dealing with uncertainty. The person may become
obsessed with perfectionism, or with planning and controlling events. The physical and psychological symptoms can have a debilitating effect on social interactions, work, and everyday activities, leading to lowered confidence and isolation. Worries may revolve around family or social matters, work, health, school, or specific events. A person with GAD experiences feelings of anxiety most days, and as soon as they
Social fears
resolve one worry another appears. They overestimate the likelihood of bad or dangerous things happening and resolve one worry another appears. They overestimate the likelihood of bad or dangerous things happening and predict the worst possible outcome. The individual may even report positive beliefs about the helpfulness of worry, such as “Worrying makes it less likely that bad things will happen.” Long-term or habitual avoidance of fearful situations or places compounds the disorder, because the individual never gathers evidence that their fears are unfounded, thus maintaining the worry.

Balancing worries

Anxiety becomes a problem when a person is weighed down with worries for the majority of days in a six-month period or longer.

• Social fears
• Health or money worries
• Anticipation of dangers and disasters
• Perfectionism

TREATMENT

❯ Cognitive behavioral therapy to identify triggers, negative thoughts, habitual avoidance, and safety behaviors.

❯ Behavioral therapy to identify new behavioral goals, with achievable steps.

❯ Group therapy with assertiveness training and building self-esteem to help counteract unhelpful beliefs and unfounded fears.

Women are 60%
more likely to develop GAD than men