Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Are you a worrier?

Worry is a common response to problems. It involves allowing one’s mind to dwell on an anticipated problem. Worry is typically focused on what might occur, and an individual generates a series of “what if” scenarios.

Worry usually deals with all the things that could go wrong and the worst case scenarios. 

Worry is a common response to problems. It involves allowing one’s mind to dwell on an anticipated problem. Worry is typically focused on what might occur, and an individual generates a series of “what if” scenarios. Worry usually deals with all the things that could go wrong and the worst case scenarios. 

You may think you can solve a problem by worrying, but research shows that worry is not productive. A person expends a lot of time and energy thinking about the problem but does not arrive at a solution. Worrying becomes a vicious cycle. You may be trapped in the worry cycle, believing that it will solve the problem or help you to be better prepared for future problems. 

Excessive worry is the core symptom of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)  which affects 6.8 million adults, or 3% of the U.S. population. It affects twice as many women as men. 

GAD sufferers often experience:

• Excessive, uncontrollable worry

• Fatigue

• Irritability

• Feeling keyed up

• Sleep disturbances

• Concentration impairment

• Muscle tension

A GAD diagnosis is based on the presence of a combination of these symptoms lasting 6-months or longer and resulting in functional impairments. Many people dealing with GAD will say, “I’ve always been a worrier.” 

GAD routinely co-occurs with major depression. In fact, chronic worry increases a person’s risk of becoming depressed.

Despite the heavy burden of GAD, only 43% receive treatment. Untreated GAD may lead to worsening health problems, such as: 

• Digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome or ulcers

• Headaches and migraines

• Chronic pain and illness

• Sleep problems and insomnia

• Heart-health issues

When to seek help?

If GAD symptoms are causing difficulty in your ability to function at work, home, or school, you should talk with your doctor or a mental health provider. 

The most effective treatment for GAD is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). CBT targets physiological arousal, cognitive distortions, and avoidance behaviors that serve to maintain GAD. 

Relaxation

By learning different methods of relaxation, you can reduce your physiological arousal. 

Cognitive therapy

By identifying your patterns of worry, you can learn to challenge unproductive thinking habits. Often worries are associated with catastrophizing (imaging the worst case scenario) and over-estimating the probability of negative outcomes. 

Exposure

By dealing with your fears directly, you can engage in activities that are important to you. 

To learn more about CBT, contact Dr. Combs-Lane.

* The information and resources contained on this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to assess, diagnose, or treat any medical and/or mental health disease or condition. The use of this website does not imply nor establish any type of therapist-client relationship. Furthermore, the information obtained from this site should not be considered a substitute for a thorough medical and/or mental health evaluation by an appropriately credentialed and licensed professional. *