Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry, that is, apprehensive expectation about events or activities.

It often disrupts daily functioning, as individuals become overly concerned about everyday matters ranging from health issues, money, death, family problems etc.

Causes And Risk Factors Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder:

Like many mental conditions, the exact cause of GAD is yet to be found.

However, the following factors have been observed to increase the likelihood of acquiring GAD:

People with timid or negative temperament are more prone to GAD than others.

GAD may run in the family.

Being female.

Women are diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder somewhat more often than men are.

Symptoms Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder:

Gad is often marked by the following symptoms:

Persistent worrying or obsession about small or large concerns that’s out of proportion to the impact of the event
Inability to set aside or let go of a worry
Inability to relax, restlessness, and feeling keyed up or on edge
Difficulty concentrating, or the feeling that your mind “goes blank”
Worrying about excessively worrying
Distress about making decisions for fear of making the wrong decision
Carrying every option in a situation all the way out to its possible negative conclusion
Fatigue
Irritability
Muscle tension or muscle aches
Trembling, feeling twitchy
Being easily startled
Trouble sleeping
Sweating
Nausea, diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome
Headaches

Diagnosis Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder:

GAD is diagnosed if the patient fulfils the following DSM-5 criteria:

Excessive anxiety and worry about several events or activities most days of the week for at least six months
Difficulty controlling your feelings of worry
At least three of the following symptoms in adults and one of the following in children: restlessness, fatigue, trouble concentrating, irritability, muscle tension or sleep problems
Anxiety or worry that causes you significant distress or interferes with your daily life
Anxiety that isn’t related to another mental health condition, such as panic attacks or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, or a medical condition