What
is Generalised Anxiety Disorder?
A certain amount of worry is normal
in everyday life, but when worry, tension, and anxiety becomes excessive, are
experienced most of the time, and are present for more than 6 months; this may
be the symptoms of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
With GAD, anxiety usually concerns
several events and activities in a person’s life, such as relationships,
family, finances, work and health. This anxiety and worry is not just tied to
specific stressful events, but can be related to many aspects of daily life. The
high levels of anxiety may be difficult to control and it can affect people’s
ability to sleep, to relax or to do other everyday activities.
What
are the symptoms of GAD?
Someone with GAD can spend over half
of their waking hours worrying over various issues, rather than being concerned
over a single situation (such as being in social settings).
Topics that may cause worry and
anxiety include:
Concerns
about what might happen in the future
The
desire to do things perfectly
The
fear of failure
Fear
of being seen negatively by others
Not
coping with daily responsibilities
Concerns
about world events
When you’re experiencing GAD, you
may find it difficult to relax, to control the worry and to deal with
uncertainty.
You may also be significantly
distressed and find it difficult to carry out daily activities, such as
household chores, driving, work, and social or family commitments.
GAD can also mean you may experience
some physical symptoms like:
Tiredness
Irritability
Difficulty
sleeping
Difficulty
concentrating
Feeling
restless
Tight
muscles (e.g. shoulders, neck, head)
It’s common to also experience other
mental health problems, like another anxiety disorder, depression or
alcohol/substance abuse, when you have generalised anxiety.
Who
gets GAD?
People of all ages can develop GAD.
Children and teenagers can develop GAD, though it also can begin in adulthood.
Every year, around 2.7% of Australian adults experience GAD, and generally more
women than men are affected.
A lot of people who experience GAD
say they were worriers before the disorder developed, with a tendency to worry
too much about how things will turn out (for example, at school or in
relationships) and how they will cope.
Treatment
for GAD
There are effective treatments
available for GAD. For most, psychological treatments are effective. In very
severe cases this may also include medication taken under the guidance of a
medical practitioner.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is an effective
structured psychological treatment for GAD.
CBT for GAD helps you to learn how
to change any unhelpful thoughts, beliefs and behaviours that contribute to and
maintain anxiety and worry. Techniques include ways of reducing worry through
training in relaxation and problem solving.
Where
can I receive treatment for GAD?
There are a number of ways you can
access psychological treatment for GAD and you can choose a way that works best
for you. This can be in-person with a mental health professional, or online
with the support of a program.
By registering, you can access Mental
Health Online’s free and comprehensive GAD assessment and treatment. You may
like to do this by yourself in our self-guided option, but you can also opt for
our free therapist-assisted program via email, chat, or video.
Explore
other treatment options
For further information about
treatment options and assistance:
Visit
your GP
Explore
other online therapies at Head to Health
Find a Psychologist through the Australian Psychological Society’s referral service
Contact
your local community health centre