What You Should Know About Generalized Anxiety Disorder- October 1, 2000

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An article on this topic is available in this issue of AFP.

What You Should Know About Generalized Anxiety Disorder

What is generalized anxiety disorder?

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) causes people to be worried or tense most of the time. Sometimes, they think something terrible will happen even though there's no reason to think that it will. They may also worry about health, money, family or work. They may feel tense without knowing why.

GAD usually starts when people are in their early 20s. About 10 million adults in the United States have this disorder. Women are more likely to have it than men.

How do I know if I have GAD?

Most people worry and these occasional worries are normal. This doesn't mean that you have GAD. You may have GAD if you can't stop worrying and relax. As a rule, if you have GAD, you worry so much that it interferes with your day-to-day life, and it happens more days than not. Here are other signs of GAD:

Trouble falling or staying asleep

Muscle tension

Irritability

Trouble concentrating, or your mind goes blank

Getting tired easily

Restlessness, or feeling "keyed up" or on edge

If you feel tense most of the time and have some of these symptoms, talk to your doctor. Your doctor will probably examine you and ask some questions to make sure that something else isn't causing your symptoms. Sometimes certain kinds of medicine may cause GAD. Your thyroid gland could be too active or you may be depressed. If your doctor doesn't find any other reason for your symptoms, you may need to be treated for GAD.

How is GAD treated?

If you have GAD, you must learn ways to cope with your anxiety and worry. You'll probably need some counseling to help you figure out what's making you so tense. Also, you may need to take some medicine to help you feel less anxious. Your doctor will be able to recommend the treatment that will be best for you.

Patients with GAD can get better. If you take medicine for generalized anxiety disorder, you may be able to stop taking it in the future.

To learn more about GAD, you can visit the Web site of the Anxiety Disorders Education Program at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety.

This handout provides a general overview on this topic and may not apply to everyone. To find out if this handout applies to you and to get more information on this subject, talk to your family doctor.

Visit familydoctor.org for information on this and many other health-related topics.

Copyright © 2000 by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Permission is granted to print and photocopy this material for nonprofit educational uses. Written permission is required for all other uses, including electronic uses.

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