Generalised Anxiety Disorder: Information, Symptoms, Treatment and More

Generalised Anxiety Disorder is a mental health condition. Anxiety is the natural feeling of being worried, afraid or generally tense. For some people however, anxiety is a constant problem that has a detrimental effect on their life.

Some people struggle to control their worries, often without any clear cause. This is a medical condition. There are several anxiety-based conditions, here we focus on Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – the most common anxiety condition.

An individual with GAD will feel anxious the majority of the time – making it a very difficult condition to live with. GAD is typically a long-term condition. However, with the right treatment and support, many people will gain full remission.

What are the symptoms of Generalised Anxiety Disorder?

The symptoms of Generalised Anxiety Disorder tend to vary from individual to individual. However, many symptoms are consistent throughout multiple accounts.

For a diagnosis of GAD to be made, these symptoms will need to have been present for a significant amount of time – normally a few months.

Symptoms are normally either psychological or physical.

Psychological

• An intense, regular feeling of worry, being afraid or being generally tense
• Rumination
• Restlessness
• Being unable to relax
• Feeling others are looking at you
• Irritability
• Excessive worrying

Physical

• Excessive sweating
• Fast heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Stomach churning
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Nausea

As a result of these symptoms, the behaviour of an individual will typically change markedly. Typical behavioural changes include avoiding people and normal activities, not wanting to leave their home, and a difficulty in maintaining or forming meaningful relationships.

This is not an exhaustive list of symptoms – with everyone experiencing GAD in different ways.

What are the causes of Generalised Anxiety Disorder?

Suffering from Generalised Anxiety Disorder can make life very difficult. Many people don’t have any clear reason to be worrying as much as they do. This is a common theme – as the cause of Generalised Anxiety Disorder isn’t entirely known.

Moreover, it isn’t known why some people suffer from certain types of anxiety. Sometimes, there simply isn’t a cause. Often, a range of factors appear to contribute to the onset of GAD.

GAD can run in families, meaning genetics appear to play a part. Someone who has a parent with GAD is six times likelier than someone else to develop their own GAD condition [1].

Traumatic events can cause mental health problems. Any past trauma, especially areas that haven’t been processed fully, may pose a problem.

Overprotective parenting has also been touted as a possible cause for GAD. Furthermore, any negative childhood experience can lead to GAD developing.

Medication side effects and past substance abuse are other risk factors. Life situations like unemployment, loneliness or homelessness all act as common triggers too. Anxiety often runs alongside other mental health conditions.

Diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder

It is important for an individual to see a Doctor or mental health professional if they believe they are suffering from Generalised Anxiety Disorder.

While Anxiety is certainly a normal emotion, if the level of anxiety is causing distress or affecting the life of an individual, it is important to seek help.

At an appointment, a doctor will gain an understanding of the feelings and condition of a patient by asking several questions.

Questions are normally based around the severity of symptoms – and their impact on day-to-day functioning. Other questions may include a query on mental illness in a patient’s family, and how long the symptoms have been present.

For GAD to be diagnosed, a Doctor will generally look for the following criteria to be met:  

• Individual has exhibited anxiety for the majority of the time over a period of at least six months
• The individual’s symptoms are difficult to manage, and cause impairment in day-to-day functioning
• A minimum of three of the following:
  • Restlessness
  • Fatigue
  • Poor concentration
  • Irritability
  • Muscle tension
  • Poor sleep
• The symptoms can’t be better explained by a different mental health condition

Something called the GAD-7 can be used to assist in diagnosis, if necessary. Once a diagnosis has been made, treatment can proceed.

How is Generalised Anxiety Disorder treated?

Treatment is available for Generalised Anxiety Disorder. The aim is always for full recovery. At the very least, a patient should see a reduction in their symptoms and their intensity.

The level of treatment generally depends on how severe the symptoms are. Possible treatment includes:

Self-help

Many people find that anxiety lessens with a combination of factors based around self-help. Meditation or mindfulness are great ways to relax and ease fears.

Avoiding alcohol and caffeine too have proven benefits for coping with anxiety. Regular exercise, along with a healthy diet, can help too. Regular sleep, and joining a local discussion group are two other useful methods.

Talking Therapy

Some form of talking therapy is normally the first line of treatment. Therapy typically helps individuals understand their thoughts and behaviour more. Therapy can also help individuals learn how to cope better with problems. Some common types of therapy that are used for anxiety include:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): CBT is a type of therapy that is used to treat a range of mental health conditions. CBT involves an individual talking face-to-face with a therapist, although sometimes CBT can be conducted in a group setting. CBT attempts to improve an individual’s wellbeing and mood. The therapy focuses on the link between thoughts, feelings and actions. This can be useful for those with low self-esteem, anxiety, unhelpful personality traits or intrusive thoughts. CBT can help an individual understand their feelings more, and in the long run should lead to an improvement in quality of life.

Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy: Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy is a talking therapy that aims to help uncover and resolve unconscious beliefs that cause psychiatric conditions. Traumatic experiences that may or may not be buried in the unconscious mind can be highlighted and processed. Psychoanalytical psychotherapy involves talking to a trained therapist. The therapist can show the individual how early memories and past traumas have affected their thinking, behaviour and attitude in the modern day. Psychoanalytical psychotherapy is especially useful for any condition that involves past trauma. Renowned neurologist Sigmund Freud developed this therapy, which is typically completed over a long-term basis.

There are a range of other types of talking therapies available, each of which can help. We have more information in our dedicated Therapy section.

Medication

In cases of Anxiety that feature symptoms that cause a profound impact on an individual’s day-to-day life, medication can be prescribed.

Normally, an antidepressant will be used, though this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, Pregablin – an anticonvulsant medication used for epilepsy – may on some occasions be prescribed.

Antidepressants: Antidepressants can help to improve and regulate mood. They should improve motivation and restore energy. SSRI Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed. They act on the brain chemical serotonin – which is thought to help in regulating mood and emotion. They may include side-effects such as a dry mouth, sexual problems and nausea, though these should hopefully be short-term. Other classes of antidepressants are available in the event of an inadequate reaction.

Pregabalin: Pregablin is an anticonvulsant medication used to help those who suffer from Epilepsy. Pregablin is also licensed to treat some forms of anxiety. Pregablin will generally be taken for a long-term period, and can be particularly useful when an individual doesn’t respond well to antidepressants.

For severe cases of anxiety that lead to a crisis, sometimes a short-term course of Benzodiazepines can be prescribed.

Benzodiazepines: Benzodiazepines are fast-acting sedatives, which can relax an individual and improve their mood. Any anxiety should fade rapidly upon consumption. The individual should therefore have an improved level of functioning. Benzodiazepines cannot be taken for more than a few weeks, due to acute risk of both physical and psychological dependence.

Summary

Hopefully each individual will find a combination of treatments that can lead to the lessening of symptoms.

Seeking help is a crucial starting point. There is a wealth of information on our website to assist you.

See Also

• Anxiety Section
• What Is The Prognosis for Anxiety?
• Therapy Homepage
• Medicine Homepage