"You're such a worry wart."  "Just relax."  These are the things people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, also known as GAD, have been hearing most of their lives.  But people with GAD can't "just relax."  Their worries are not just a switch that can be turned on or off.  Everybody worries, but GAD is characterized by persistent, excessive, and unrealistic worry about everyday things, seemingly all the time.

​

People with the disorder often expect the worst even when there is no apparent reason for concern. They anticipate disaster and may be overly concerned about money, health, family, work, or other issues. GAD is diagnosed when a person finds it difficult to control worry on more days than not for at least six months and has three or more symptoms.

​

Do you experience these common GAD symptoms?

• restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge

• being easily fatigued

• difficulty concentrating or mind going blank

• irritability

• muscle tension

• difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless, unsatisfying sleep

​

GAD is highly treatable with a combination of talk therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and lifestyle modifications, such as exercise and relaxation techniques.