Although worry is a normal part of life, persistent worry and accompanying anxiety (lasting 6 months or longer) about health, work, money or family -- even when there is no sign of trouble -- is not a part of normal life. Constant and uncontrollable worry and accompanying anxiety may represent a mental health condition known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or GAD. GAD is a long-term condition that can last for many years before you think to seek help for it. Many people with GAD believe that their anxiety or nervousness about life is a “personality flaw” and have just put up with it, often at the expense of relationships, self-perception and self-esteem. Yet GAD is a real illness, and one with treatment options that can help relieve the anxiety you feel by simply “being.”
Symptoms: 
The main symptoms of GAD include:
- Excessive, near-constant worry
- Overwhelming anxiety, and
- a constant state of tension
If you worry excessively about minor things, feel anxious most of the time, or feel tense most days of the week, you might have GAD.
Other common symptoms include restlessness, irritability, tiredness, muscle tension, disturbed sleep and difficulty concentrating. But because most of these symptoms are physical in nature, they are often disregarded as signs of an emotional disorder. Talking about your worry can be a difficult thing to do, but it is very helpful in determining if you have GAD. Remember, it might not be “just the way you are” and help might be available. Current research suggests that more than 5% of Americans, at some point in their life, experience GAD. This is most common in adults between the ages of 25 and 45, and more commonly reported among women than men. But GAD can effect anyone at any age, and it doesn’t discriminate based on gender.
Treatment Options:
Traditional “talk therapy” (counseling with a trained mental health professional), medication therapy or a combination of both work well to relive the symptoms of GAD.
The traditional “talk therapy” methods most commonly used for GAD include:
- Behavior therapy, which helps to teach you how to cope in difficult situations,
- Cognitive therapy, which helps to teach you how to distinguish between realistic and unrealistic thoughts,
- Relaxation techniques, which helps reduce the stresses that contribute to anxiety.
Medication therapy, which is prescribed by either your primary care provider or a mental health specialist (such as a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner), uses medications to regulate chemicals in the brain that contribute to how you experience worry and anxiety. In many instances, your therapist (if not a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner) may refer you for a medication evaluation and, vise versa, your doctor might refer you for talk therapy. Regardless, help is available and you do not have to “go it alone.”
Additional Resources
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
11990 Parklawn Drive, Suite 100
Rockville, MD 20852-2624
(301) 231-9350
www.adaa.org
National Anxiety Foundation
3135 Custer Drive
Lexington, KY 40517-4001
(859) 272-7166
www.lexington-on-line.com
Freedom from Fear
308 Seaview Avenue
State Island, NY 10305
(718) 351-1717
www.freedomefromfear.com
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