Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental health condition characterized by specific symptoms. These symptoms include ongoing and excessive worry about different concerns. The worry isn’t limited to one particular reason or source.
When someone has generalized anxiety disorder, they may worry about health, their family, relationships, work, money or other matters. The sense of worry feels out of control for the person experiencing it and someone’s worry may be out of proportion to actual events or it could be linked to no specific reason at all.
A diagnosis of GAD means that someone has a sense of worry that’s uncontrollable or difficult to control for at least six months according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). Other possible symptoms of generalized anxiety may include:
- Feeling irritable or edgy
- A sense of nervousness
- The feeling of impending doom, danger or panic
- Rapid heart rate and breathing
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Feeling tired or fatigued
- Concentration problems
- Sleep disturbances
- Gastrointestinal symptoms
Generalized anxiety disorders statistics and facts tend to showcase how pervasive this mental health issue is. People may feel alone when they live with an anxiety disorder until they learn more about generalized anxiety statistics and how common it is.