Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is the most common Anxiety Disorder.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is manifested by excessive anxiety and worry and it’s difficult to control the worry (i.e. you worry about worrying about worrying and then you are worried about the next thing and the next…) — like a runaway train…
Symptoms & Diagnosis:
Individuals with GAD experience a variety of symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and are easily fatigued.
Lasts at least 6 months
The anxiety, worry, or physical symptoms cause significant distress
2021 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code: F41.1
*Refer to the DSM-5 for additional diagnostic information.
3 or more of the following must be present:
Restlessness, on edge, keyed up
Easily fatigued
Irritability
Difficulty concentrating, blanking out
Muscle tension
Sleep disturbance
Experiences:
The following videos help depict what it may be like to have Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
"I have dealt with generalized anxiety disorder for my whole life and seeking help was something I was resistant to for a long time. It wasn't until I was constantly exhausted and making myself physically ill from being so anxious that I went to therapy. Once I did, it was a sigh of relief and felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. When I was in college, I had also developed depression and as a result had to go on medication, something my therapist had recommended for a while, but I also was resistant to, as I am a perfectionist and never want to admit that anything is wrong with me. Medication changed my life. It is something that I really do not think I would be living if I was not on. I can manage my anxiety significantly better without feeling overwhelmed. The biggest lesson I have learned is that I am so much more than my anxiety, and I deserve to be treated as everyone else."
— George Washington University Student