A life of constant worry and fear that seems out of control
Excessive worries that keep you up at night as it is NOT a matter of simply letting it go.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is diagnosed in people who find it difficult to control their worries about a wide variety of possibilities which may include health, relationships, work, small everyday issues, etc. Such symptom of excessive worries may often make people with GAD feel like dealing with the calm before the storm.
The prevalence of GAD is estimated to be around 4% worldwide, including around 1.2 million patients in America, and the number increases to 10-12% when including other anxiety-related disorders. Studies show that the lifetime prevalence of GAD affects people of different ages, genders, and socioeconomic status.
The following are major symptoms of GAD:
– Frequently anticipating the worst outcome when there is no apparent reason for concern and/or excessive worrying of situations in which people with GAD can often manage on their own if they were to happen
– Constant feeling of irritability, restlessness, and being on-edge
The following are three major elements of anxiety:
– Biological factor (e.g., chest pain, shortness of breath, etc.)
– Cognitive factor (e.g., ruminating thoughts such as ‘people will think I’m weird’ etc.)
– Behavioral factor (e.g., murmuring, avoiding, etc.)
