Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is GAD?SymptomsDiagnosisCausesTreatmentCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is GAD?
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Causes
Treatment
Coping
Worrying is a part of life. It’s natural to worry about the stressful things in our lives. But what happens when that worry becomes invasive and persistent? For people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), worrying can take over their lives, becoming excessive and exaggerated.
A person with GAD doesn’t simply have rational worries based on actual risk—they worry regardless of outside stressors, exaggerate the perceived level of risk, and cannot rationalize away the worry.
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What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
It is estimated that about 6.8 million adults—or 3.1% of the U.S. population—are affected in any given year.
People with GAD do not have one focused fear of a specific nature, such as with a phobia, but rather their anxiety changes from one thing to another repeatedly.
For example, someone without GAD may notice that a friend has not answered their text and make a mental note to follow up with them. Someone with GAD may see this unanswered text and picture their friend hurt or even dead from an accident. They may wonder if their friend is angry with them, or does not want to continue their friendship. They are likely to check and recheck their phone constantly until that friend answers the text.
Often times, a person with GAD is aware that their fear is irrational or disproportionate to the situation, but cannot turn off the worry. Because the anxiety is not based in reality, confronting it with logic or reassurance is not enough to quell it.
Is My Worrying Normal?
Paradoxically, for many people with GAD, worrying feels productive. Though they usually recognize it as magical thinking, people with GAD can feel like worrying wards off bad things from happening, and that if they stop worrying about it, their fears will come true.
GAD is exhausting mentally and physically. It impacts nearly every aspect of a person’s life, and can be very overwhelming.
Understanding the Different Types of Anxiety Disorders
To meet the DSM-5’s criteria for GAD, the following must be met:
Some other symptoms of GAD include:
It’s important to note the differences betweentypical worrying with the disordered worryingthat comes with GAD.
Anxiety Triggers Are Not UniversalBoth children and adults can experience excessive worry about any area, activity, or concept—or they may experience feelings of anxiety not attached to anything specific. These triggers also do not have to be logical or make sense to other people.
Anxiety Triggers Are Not Universal
Both children and adults can experience excessive worry about any area, activity, or concept—or they may experience feelings of anxiety not attached to anything specific. These triggers also do not have to be logical or make sense to other people.
People with GAD may engage in behaviors to try to control their excessive worrying, such as:
How Selective Mutism Affects Adults
To determine a diagnosis of GAD, your healthcare provider may:
Is It GAD, Or Something Else?Generalized anxiety disorder can mimicother psychiatric disordersand vice versa. As well, GAD often occurs at the same time as other psychiatric disorders (this is calledcomorbidity). It’s important to get a comprehensive diagnosis in order to make a treatment plan that addresses your unique needs.
Is It GAD, Or Something Else?
Generalized anxiety disorder can mimicother psychiatric disordersand vice versa. As well, GAD often occurs at the same time as other psychiatric disorders (this is calledcomorbidity). It’s important to get a comprehensive diagnosis in order to make a treatment plan that addresses your unique needs.
Scientists are not yet sure of the specific causes of GAD, but they believe it arises from a combination of biological and environmental factors. These might include:
Risk Factors
As with any psychiatric disorder, finding a successfultreatment for GADcan take some trial and error. What works for one person with GAD may not work as well as another treatment for someone else with GAD. If the first treatment you try is not successful or has side effects you can’t tolerate, don’t assume your GAD is untreatable—go back to your healthcare provider with your concerns and work together to try a new plan.
GAD is primarily treated with either therapy, medication, or a combination of both.
Therapy
The most common form of therapy used to treat generalized anxiety disorder is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps analyze the way we think in order to recognize and correct distortions. Using CBT, people with GAD can change their automatic thinking processes that lead to anxiety and replace them with healthier ways of thinking.
The five components of CBT for anxiety are:
Medication
The medications prescribed for generalized anxiety disorder are often the same ones prescribed for other mental illnesses or medical conditions.
Be Careful of InteractionsMedications used to treat anxiety can have negative effects when taken with some other medications. This includes some herbal and “natural” treatments. Always tell your healthcare provider and your pharmacist what other medications—prescription or not—you are taking.These medications can also interact with alcohol. Check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist about whether or not it is safe to drink alcohol while taking your medication.
Be Careful of Interactions
Medications used to treat anxiety can have negative effects when taken with some other medications. This includes some herbal and “natural” treatments. Always tell your healthcare provider and your pharmacist what other medications—prescription or not—you are taking.These medications can also interact with alcohol. Check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist about whether or not it is safe to drink alcohol while taking your medication.
Medications used to treat anxiety can have negative effects when taken with some other medications. This includes some herbal and “natural” treatments. Always tell your healthcare provider and your pharmacist what other medications—prescription or not—you are taking.
These medications can also interact with alcohol. Check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist about whether or not it is safe to drink alcohol while taking your medication.
Antidepressant drugs
These drugs act on neurotransmitters involved in many regions of the brain that affect anxiety, mood, and arousal.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) prescribed for anxiety include:
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) may also be prescribed. They include:
Sometimes an antidepressant works well for GAD symptoms but has side effects. Common side effects of antidepressants might include, but are not limited to:
Buspirone
Buspirone (BuSpar) is an anti-anxiety medicationthat works using a different mechanism than SSRIs and SNRIs.
Buspirone takes some time and dosage adjustments to be effective.
Some common side effects of buspirone include:
Tricyclic antidepressants
Some people with GAD find tricyclic antidepressants work better for them than other medications.
These medications may be prescribed:
For some people, tricyclic antidepressants have unpleasant side effects like:
Never Stop Treatment “Cold Turkey"Many medications used to treat mental illness, including ones for GAD, can have side effects when stopped abruptly. Some of these side effects can be serious. Always consult your healthcare provider before stopping your medication. Your provider can help you make a plan to taper off.
Never Stop Treatment “Cold Turkey”
Many medications used to treat mental illness, including ones for GAD, can have side effects when stopped abruptly. Some of these side effects can be serious. Always consult your healthcare provider before stopping your medication. Your provider can help you make a plan to taper off.
Over time, generalized anxiety is associated with an increased risk of developing or worsening:
GAD often occurs alongsideother mental illnesses, including:
These coexisting conditions can make treatment more difficult, but not impossible.
Help Is AvailableIf you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call911.
Help Is Available
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call911.
If at any time you feel your treatments are no longer as effective, talk to your healthcare provider to see if adjustments can be made.
While treatment such as therapy and/or medication is often needed to manage GAD, there are lifestyle changes you can make to help ease some of your anxiety and support your treatment plan.
A Word From Verywell
GAD can be difficult and frightening to live with. If you are feeling the effects of GAD, see your healthcare provider right away. While finding the right treatment might take a bit of work and experimentation with the help of your healthcare provider, GAD can be managed, and living a life free of excessive and intrusive anxiety is possible.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).HelpGuide.Generalized anxiety disorder: GAD.Locke AB, Kirst N, Shultz CG.Diagnosis and management of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults.Am Fam Physician. 2015;91(9):617-624.Center For Addiction and Mental Health.Generalized anxiety disorder.Gliatto MF.Generalized anxiety disorder. AFP. 2000;62(7):1591-1600.Harvard Health.Generalized anxiety disorder.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Buspirone (BuSpar).
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).HelpGuide.Generalized anxiety disorder: GAD.Locke AB, Kirst N, Shultz CG.Diagnosis and management of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults.Am Fam Physician. 2015;91(9):617-624.Center For Addiction and Mental Health.Generalized anxiety disorder.Gliatto MF.Generalized anxiety disorder. AFP. 2000;62(7):1591-1600.Harvard Health.Generalized anxiety disorder.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Buspirone (BuSpar).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).HelpGuide.Generalized anxiety disorder: GAD.Locke AB, Kirst N, Shultz CG.Diagnosis and management of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults.Am Fam Physician. 2015;91(9):617-624.Center For Addiction and Mental Health.Generalized anxiety disorder.Gliatto MF.Generalized anxiety disorder. AFP. 2000;62(7):1591-1600.Harvard Health.Generalized anxiety disorder.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Buspirone (BuSpar).
Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
HelpGuide.Generalized anxiety disorder: GAD.
Locke AB, Kirst N, Shultz CG.Diagnosis and management of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults.Am Fam Physician. 2015;91(9):617-624.
Center For Addiction and Mental Health.Generalized anxiety disorder.
Gliatto MF.Generalized anxiety disorder. AFP. 2000;62(7):1591-1600.
Harvard Health.Generalized anxiety disorder.
National Alliance on Mental Illness.Buspirone (BuSpar).
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