Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
As its name implies, GAD refers to excessive anxiety and worry over a number of things, such as schoolwork, appearance, health, money, and the future. At times, an unreasonable amount of worry may be focused on specific situations or events; for example, a good student might worry incessantly about grades. At other times, the worry isn’t directed at anything in particular, but the person might nevertheless feel tense and uneasy all the time. The pattern of constant worrying lasts for a period of months or years, and the worrisome thoughts are hard to control.
Other symptoms of GAD include restlessness, fatigue, irritability, muscle tension, trouble concentrating, and difficulty falling or staying asleep. Although full-blown GAD sometimes doesn’t develop until adolescence or later, many people with the disorder remember having felt anxious and nervous all their lives.
As its name implies, GAD refers to excessive anxiety and worry over a number of things, such as schoolwork, appearance, health, money, and the future. At times, an unreasonable amount of worry may be focused on specific situations or events; for example, a good student might worry incessantly about grades. At other times, the worry isn’t directed at anything in particular, but the person might nevertheless feel tense and uneasy all the time. The pattern of constant worrying lasts for a period of months or years, and the worrisome thoughts are hard to control.
Other symptoms of GAD include restlessness, fatigue, irritability, muscle tension, trouble concentrating, and difficulty falling or staying asleep. Although full-blown GAD sometimes doesn’t develop until adolescence or later, many people with the disorder remember having felt anxious and nervous all their lives.