Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GAD)

Individuals struggling with generalized anxiety disorder experience a persistent and disruptive anxiety that can be difficult to manage despite one’s best efforts. Worry or intrusive thoughts surrounding health, finances, family or career are common concerns with this type of anxiety. Always anticipating or preparing for a worst-case scenario can cause one to be hypervigilant, irritable and easily overwhelmed. Although an individual may understand that the amount of worry is excessive and disproportionate to the situation, that understanding may nonetheless be accompanied by a belief that relinquishing that worry will make one unprepared for when disaster strikes. The result is that even the act of thinking about decreasing anxiety can increase anxiety. Symptoms of GAD include:

• Persistent fearfulness with or without cause
• Irritability
• Racing thoughts/rumination
• Restlessness
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Headaches/muscles aches/nausea
• Feeling overwhelmed and unable to make decisions