The difference between “normal” worrying and generalized
anxiety disorder is that the worrying involved in GAD is excessive, intrusive,
persistent and debilitating. With normal anxiety:
1. Your worrying doesn’t get in the way of your daily
activities and responsibilities.
2. You’re able to control your worrying.
3. Your worries, while unpleasant, don’t cause significant
distress.
4. Your worries are limited to a specific, small number of
realistic concerns.
5. Your bouts of worrying last for only a short time period.
However, with Generalised
Anxiety Disorder
1. Your worrying significantly disrupts your job,
activities, or social life.
2. Your worrying is uncontrollable.
3. Your worries are extremely upsetting and stressful.
4. You worry about all sorts of things, and tend to expect
the worst.
5. You’ve been worrying almost every day for at least six
months.
Most people with GAD experience a combination of emotional,
behavioral, and physical symptoms.
Emotional
symptoms
· Constant worries running through your head
· Feeling like your anxiety is uncontrollable
· Intrusive thoughts about things that make you anxious; you
try to avoid thinking about them, but you can’t
· An inability to tolerate uncertainty
· A pervasive feeling of apprehension or dread
Behavioral
symptoms
· Inability to relax, enjoy quiet time, or be by yourself
· Difficulty concentrating or focusing on things
· Putting things off because you feel overwhelmed
· Avoiding situations that make you anxious
Physical
symptoms
· Feeling tense; having muscle tightness or body aches
· Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep because
your mind won’t quit
· Feeling edgy, restless, or jumpy
· Stomach problems, nausea, diarrhea.
Note: If you’ve struggled with anxiety and fears
your whole life, it’s likely that your anxiety symptoms are due to GAD; if your
anxiety symptoms are relatively new, this could be a sign of a different
problem.
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