Many people in the United States and around the world suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). It’s a mental health condition that causes a person to worry excessively about a variety of issues. However, unlike normal stress or worry about a certain situation, someone with generalized anxiety disorder has difficulty controlling their worries or anxieties. The condition can negatively impact a person’s everyday life and even their relationships. Fortunately, there are treatment options that can help manage it.

How Generalized Anxiety Disorder Differs from Regular Worry

Everyone has periods when they worry about something or someone and have stress. This is a normal part of life. However, generalized anxiety disorder is not ordinary worrying or stress; it is excessive and constant to the point where it interferes with a person’s regular routine and how they interact with other people. It also lasts far longer than ordinary worrying and stress. When a person goes for at least six months of excessive, extreme worrying and anxiety, it means they have generalized anxiety disorder. It’s a gripping mental health disorder that can overtake a person’s life.

Nearly 7 million American adults are affected by generalized anxiety disorder annually. Women are also twice as likely as men to suffer from GAD. Many people who develop the condition have roots dating back to their childhoods that cause them to experience symptoms in their adulthoods.

Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Diagnosis

Generalized anxiety disorder causes extreme worry on an ongoing basis. Once a person reaches at least six consecutive months plagued by worry without reason, they are considered to have the condition. GAD leads to excessive worry and anxiety that can get out of control, causing it to interfere with a person’s work, school, home life, romantic and interpersonal relationships and even health.

A person who struggles with generalized anxiety disorder can experience a slew of other symptoms. These can vary from one person to the next and include the following:

• Continuous worrying and anxiety about different situations or potential events.
• Thinking that the worst-case scenario will occur.
• Thinking there’s a threat when there isn’t any sign of one.
• Trouble concentrating or relaxing.
• Fear of making the wrong decision and being indecisive.
• Dreading plans and thinking they will have negative impacts.

Along with these psychological symptoms, someone with GAD often also experiences physical ones as well. They include the following:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Upset stomach resulting in nausea or diarrhea
• Trembling
• Excessive sweating
• Heart palpitations
• Panic attacks
• Fatigue
• Tense, achy muscles

In many cases, a person with generalized anxiety disorder doesn’t always exhibit typical symptoms of their condition. There may be times when they can reasonably function; at the same time, they might still feel anxious even without any logical reason.

Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder may also have certain triggers that worsen their symptoms. For example, a normally traumatic situation such as a natural disaster or pandemic can easily exacerbate their anxiety to a significant degree.

When a person experiences multiple of the above symptoms, they may want to see their doctor for a diagnosis. Typically, a doctor will perform a physical exam and ask the person questions about their history. Generalized anxiety disorder is not diagnosed through any specific test, but doctors can assess a patient’s symptoms and determine whether there is something physical causing them.

A GAD diagnosis is made when the doctor determines how long and how intense the patient’s symptoms are and whether they have interfered with daily life. A positive diagnosis is also only made once a person has gone for at least six months with symptoms that have caused conflict with their routines.

What Are the Causes and Risk Factors of Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Usually, generalized anxiety disorder is caused by a variety of genetic and environmental factors. This combination increases a person’s risk of developing the mental health condition. Many people with GAD have a family history of anxiety; in some cases, this may be genetic. However, environmental factors can lead to a person developing generalized anxiety disorder. For example, if someone grows up with a parent with the disorder, they could pick up on the symptoms their parent experienced and go through the same issues.

One of the most common risk factors for generalized anxiety disorder is a personal or family history of other illnesses. The more someone is exposed to illness, the more likely they are to experience higher levels of stress, which can lead to anxiety. Other excessively stressful situations can also make it more likely to suffer from GAD.

A personal history of trauma can cause generalized anxiety disorder. Some examples include bullying, abuse, natural disasters, and combat. Certain health conditions can increase one’s risk for generalized anxiety disorder as well. For example, having a heart condition can lead to anxiety that grows and extends beyond the person’s worry about that condition.

Being a woman is also believed to be a risk factor for GAD. According to studies, women are more likely to experience the disorder than men.

What Are Some Treatment Approaches for Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

There are different treatment approaches available for people with generalized anxiety disorder. Once a person has been diagnosed, they may be directed to attend therapy sessions or prescribed anti-anxiety medication. Some people find that both help manage their generalized anxiety disorder symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of psychotherapy, is often helpful as it teaches people better, healthier ways of thinking and reacting to situations that might otherwise trigger their anxiety. CBT for GAD is one of the best treatment options available.

Anti-anxiety medications in the benzodiazepine family can help ease the symptoms of GAD and allow a person to not only calm down their mind but also help them sleep. Often, when these drugs are prescribed, they should be taken only as necessary because some people can build a tolerance to them.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), antidepressants, have also been shown to help treat generalized anxiety disorder. However, these drugs can take several weeks before they start working.

GAD support groups may also be helpful for some people with generalized anxiety disorder. When people with the same or similar situations get together and openly share their experiences, it allows them to help each other. Just having their voice heard can help many people.

Alternative options can also help manage GAD symptoms. Many people find that exercise, especially relaxing techniques such as yoga and tai chi, is helpful. These exercises not only help people relax, but they also encourage the release of serotonin and endorphins in the brain to improve mood and block negative thoughts.

Coping Strategies for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Living with generalized anxiety disorder is possible with the right coping strategies. Some people take up deep breathing exercises or meditation to stay focused. Both of these stress management techniques are good at improving many of the typical symptoms of GAD, such as heart palpitations and anxiety attacks. By staying focused, a person can find a healthy distraction to calm their mind and body.

Other efforts that can help ease generalized anxiety disorder involve getting plenty of quality sleep, avoiding smoking and drinking and caffeine, and consuming a healthy diet. Meals rich in low-fat proteins, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes, and fish can improve overall health, which can also balance out one’s mental well-being.

How to Seek Professional Help

Individuals who are diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder can benefit from professional help. A psychologist is well-equipped to help people cope and provide them with vital tools they can use for managing their symptoms. Once a person receives a diagnosis, they can turn to their doctor first; the doctor may know a good psychologist to recommend or can refer them to for CBT.

In addition to seeking professional help from a psychologist, many people find GAD support groups helpful as well. In some cases, group psychotherapy offers a dual benefit in treating generalized anxiety disorder and giving people support from others with GAD. There is also the option of family psychotherapy; this helps members of the person’s family gain a better perspective about their loved one’s mental health condition and how they can support them.

Support Networks and Resources for Those Living With GAD

It’s crucial for those living with generalized anxiety disorder and their families to have the right support. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available online, over the phone, and in person. Performing an online search can direct people who need help to various websites where they can seek support. There are support groups tailored to adults, women only, men only, children, teens, and even military members and their families. One of the best places to look is the Anxiety and Depression Association of America website.

There is also an anxiety hotline available through the Mental Health Hotline for people with GAD to seek support. The number is 866-903-3787 and is toll-free on a 24/7 basis.

Granite Recovery Centers offers treatment options for those struggling with generalized anxiety disorder. Call 844-766-1166 to get started.

Being diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder is not the end of the world. There is help available through many sources; GAD is also one of the most treatable mental health conditions, so if you have been diagnosed with it, you have a good prognosis. Once you have the resources available to you for seeking help and learning how to live with GAD, you will be on a good path toward a healthier future. Reaching out to your doctor is the first step.