What is GAD?

All of us worry about things like health, money, or family problems. But people with GAD are extremely worried about these and many other things, even when there is little or no reason to worry about them. They are very anxious about just getting through the day. They think things will always go badly. At times, worrying keeps people with GAD from doing everyday tasks.

GAD develops slowly. It often starts during the teen years or young adulthood. Symptoms may get better or worse at different times, and often are worse during times of stress.

People with GAD may visit a doctor many times before they find out they have this disorder. They ask their doctors to help them with headaches or trouble falling asleep, which can be symptoms of GAD but they don’t always get the help they need right away. It may take doctors some time to be sure that a person has GAD instead of something else.

What are the signs and symptoms of GAD?

A person with GAD may:

• Worry very much about everyday things
• Have trouble controlling their constant worries
• Know that they worry much more than they should
• Not be able to relax
• Have a hard time concentrating
• Be easily startled
• Have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
• Feel tired all the time
• Have headaches, muscle aches, stomach aches, or unexplained pains
• Have a hard time swallowing
• Tremble or twitch
• Be irritable, sweat a lot, and feel light-headed or out of breath
• Have to go to the bathroom a lot

Information provided by The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Stonington Institute’s professional staff are here to help. Call 800-832-1022 or 860-535-1010 and select option 1 for a no-cost screening that gathers demographic, insurance and clinical information needed by the assessment team. If you need immediate medical assistance, contact 911 or seek the nearest emergency room.