Generalized Anxiety Disorder 101

When it comes to anxiety, people often assume there is just one type of ‘anxiety’, when 
in fact there are a lot of different varieties. It is possible that people with mild anxiety 
simply have a habit of overthinking or worrying a little more than the average person, 
but when it comes to anxiety disorders, it helps to know which one you have.

The reason you need to narrow it down to the type of anxiety disorder is because you 
understand more about what you are going through. It teaches you the potential causes, 
signs and symptoms, and how you can treat it. Living with anxiety isn’t easy, but it is 
possible. 

One of the more common types of anxiety disorders is called generalized anxiety 
disorder, or GAD. This type of anxiety will give you an overwhelming sense of worry and 
sometimes dread. By learning more about this disorder, you will understand yourself 
and your own actions, then hopefully work toward getting proper treatment.

1. What is GAD?

With generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), you have a very high amount of anxiety. The 
specific severity and frequency of this anxiety disorder will vary from person to person. 
However, it is generally an overwhelming sense of worry, fear, and anxiety. It can come 
at any time without warning, or be triggered by an event, memory, fear, or person. GAD 
is actually quite complex when you figure out all the details and characteristics that 
people with this anxiety disorder possess.

Someone with GAD doesn’t always have to have something to trigger the anxiety or the 
panic attacks that often follow. They can simply be overly worried most or all of the time. 
Someone without this anxiety disorder might be nervous about going to the dentist, but 
someone with generalized anxiety disorder is so fearful, it might cause tremors, body 
shaking, and even severe, debilitating panic attacks.

It makes daily life rather difficult, especially with work, school, and personal obligations. 
Some people with GAD will find it impossible to drive because they are fearful of what 
might happen while they are in the car. Others experience other anxiety disorders along 
with GAD, like social anxiety or agoraphobia. 

It is also common for someone to think they just worry a lot, but don’t realize they have 
an anxiety disorder. If you think you might have it, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor 
and then see a therapist. They will determine if you might have generalized anxiety 
disorder, then will help you to control it and live with it on a day by day basis.

And don’t worry about being the only one – about 3 percent of the population in the 
United States alone is struggling with GAD every day.

2. How it Differs From Other Anxiety Disorders

With mental health and mental illnesses, it is very common to have more than one at 
any given time. This doesn’t mean one mental illness caused the other one, but that it 
might have triggered it, or that there is another reason they are linked.

This might have to do with an even that happened to you in your past. Someone with 
generalized anxiety disorder might have had a traumatic event that then caused PTSD 
and panic attacks, which both can be worsened if you already have GAD. This happens 
quite common.

GAD Vs Other Anxiety Disorders

It is important to educate yourself on the potential link and relation between generalized 
anxiety disorder, but also to keep in mind that they are not all the same thing. You can 
be someone who gets panic attacks, but that doesn’t mean you also have GAD. 

Before continuing, here are some other anxiety disorders you may or may not have in 
addition to generalized anxiety disorder:

Panic disorder 
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 
Social anxiety 
Phobias

The main difference between GAD and most other anxiety disorders is that it causes 
generalized anxiety. This is when you are not triggered by a specific thing, like a 
memory or flashback with someone who has post-traumatic stress disorder, but instead 
just an overall feeling of worry and fear. This rarely goes away, and when it does, it can 
come back at any time.

Someone who has generalized anxiety disorder can be sitting alone at home, and one 
small thought leads to a massive panic attack in a matter of minutes. This also happens 
to someone with panic disorder. However, someone with panic disorder usually needs a 
trigger, while someone with GAD can be doing anything or nothing before the anxiety 
sets in. This is what makes it so debilitating to many people.

Similarities With Other Anxiety Disorders

While any two anxiety disorders will have some similarities, the two that are most similar 
to GAD and its symptoms are social anxiety and panic disorder. Take a look at how 
these might be similar or connected in some way:

Panic Disorder – First of all, panic disorder can be very similar to GAD. This is because 
with generalized anxiety disorder, your worries and fears often rise up enough to give 
you a panic attack at any time. Panic disorder is when your anxiety is so severe that you 
get frequent panic attacks. Therefore, they can be connected, but you can have one or 
the other, or both simultaneously. They each need to be treated separately.

Social Anxiety – The next anxiety disorder that is sometimes similar to generalized 
anxiety disorder is social anxiety. When you have social anxiety, you are fine while on 
your own or with someone you feel comfortable with, but you feel the intense worry and 
fear when around other people. This can be in a crowded movie theater, standing in line 
at a retail store, or at a party. With GAD and social anxiety, you might have general 
worry that heightens when you get around people. It is possible you have both.
 
3. Signs and Symptoms of GAD

Let’s take a moment to look at the common signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety 
disorder so you can figure out if this is what you have. It is really important that you take 
your mental health just as seriously as your physical health, so if you exhibit any of 
these symptoms, reach out for help and talk to your doctor about it.

Mental and Emotional Symptoms

The first set of symptoms for generalized anxiety disorder are the mental and emotional 
ones. These are the way you think, feel, and react to certain things. Aside from just 
being overly anxious and worried almost constantly, you may also notice that it 
accompanies mood changes. You may go through bouts of extreme panic just by 
thinking about one minor thing, which can easily turn into extreme irritability and 
downright anger.

You may also notice that you have trouble concentrating, especially when there is 
something that keeps worrying you. This is much more than just stress as it becomes 
debilitating and is very hard to control. 

Someone with GAD may also be easily startled and have a hard time coming back after 
being startled. In addition, don’t forget about symptoms of other anxiety disorders and 
mental illnesses, like depression, certain phobias, panic disorder, PTSD, and social 
anxiety. Since there is often a strong link between them, having any mental illness could 
potentially be a sign that you also have generalized anxiety disorder.

Physical Symptoms

While a lot of the signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder have to do with 
your thoughts and feelings, this is definitely not the only thing that will happen. You can 
also experience physical symptoms, which are partly from the anxiety, and partly from 
the panic attack that may soon be starting. 

Physical symptoms of GAD include tension or pain in your muscles, headaches, 
sweating, nausea and/or vomiting, extreme fatigue, trembling or shaking, and urinating 
much more frequently than what is normal for you. You may also get tunnel vision, 
which is when looking ahead you can only see a very small amount. It is an odd 
sensation you don’t recognize until it’s happening. It is also common to have bad 
insomnia when you have GAD, especially just before or during panic attacks.

You may be someone who always seems to anticipate the worst, where you have a 
hard time being positive and uplifting about new situations or meeting new people. Not 
only can this be a sign of social anxiety, but a sign of generalized anxiety disorder as 
well.

If you experience any of these symptoms much worse when you are on a stimulant, 
such as drinking alcohol or doing drugs, it is likely you have GAD. This can even 
happen when you have a lot of caffeine or sugar, which are also stimulants.
Remember to talk to your doctor if you are showing any of these symptoms. It can be 
any combination of symptoms as well. Not everyone with GAD is going to experience 
every single one of them. But if you have found the worry or anxiety to be affecting your 
life in any way, it is time to reach out for help and get a solid diagnosis that you can 
figure out the next steps.

4. The Different Treatment Options

By now, you should have a good idea of what generalized anxiety disorder is and how 
to know when you are suffering from it. Remember that while it is undoubtedly a 
challenging thing to live with, you’re not alone! There is help out there in many forms, 
from therapy to natural remedies and lifestyle changes.

Here is a look at some of the treatment options available for GAD:

Taking Medications

The first type of treatment that your doctor might recommend for generalized anxiety 
disorder is to take medications. While this is optional, it is something worth considering 
if you find that the side effects of your anxiety disorder are having a negative effect on 
your life. This is when you know it is time to look for more treatment options.

There are a few different types of medications you might be prescribed, starting with 
antidepressants. These not only help if you have both depression and GAD, but they 
can improve your mood and help to reduce your worry and fear. Some types of 
antidepressants you might recognize are Cymbalta, Lexapro, and Paxil, though there 
are others and generic brands of these as well.

Benzodiazepines are another category of medications frequently prescribed to people 
who have GAD. These are a type of sedative, that help to calm you down and help 
reduce the severity of your panic attacks. They are most often prescribed to stop panic 
attacks, but some people need to take them on a routine basis. These include Ativan, 
Valium, and Xanax, which you probably recognize the name of.

If you drink alcohol regularly, now is a good time to cut back. Not only is it bad for 
anxiety in general, but you can’t drink and take any of these anti-anxiety or anti-
depressant medications.

For any anti-anxiety medication, you will start at the lowest dose, then gradually 
increase it. It is possible that your body and brain chemicals being adjusted to the lower 
doses, requiring a higher dose over time. This doesn’t happen to everyone, but it is 
something to be aware of.

Going to Therapy

The next option, and one of the most popular things people will go for with GAD, is to 
get therapy. This is true of all mental illnesses, from anxiety to depression. Talking to 
someone is crucial for living with generalized anxiety disorder. Like all forms of anxiety, 
there is no cure, but there are many ways to cope and reduce the panic attacks and 
more severe symptoms.

Therapy comes in many forms, depending on your preferences and the severity of your 
anxiety symptoms. You may simply want to talk to a counselor type therapist who 
listens to you and will provide some positive feedback. Then there are psychologists 
that delve a little deeper into your biggest issues, trying to find the cause of your GAD 
and figure out what your triggers are.

There is cognitive behavioral therapy to help you learn to live with anxiety, along with 
psychiatrists who are there to prescribe you anxiety medications or anti-depressants. 
We will talk a little more about therapy in the next section.

Turning to Natural Remedies

The last treatment option includes a combination of natural remedies and lifestyle 
changes. You are also going to learn more about the lifestyle changes you can make in 
a later section, but here is an overview of some of the more natural ways to help treat 
generalized anxiety disorder and reduce panic attacks:

Cutting back on stimulants, including alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, caffeine, and sugar
Eating a healthy diet
Exercising on a regular basis
Making sure you get enough vitamins and minerals
Trying meditation
Learning deep breathing techniques
Focusing on other things
Writing in a journal
Having a good support system

It is important to make healthy lifestyle changes that are good for your mental health, 
even while they are also helping with your physical health at the same time.

5. Importance of Routine Therapy

Before we talk more about lifestyle changes you can make in order to help with your 
generalized anxiety disorder, let’s talk a little more about therapy as a treatment option. 
When you see your primary physician about your anxiety symptoms, they will probably 
recommend seeing a mental health professional first thing. Even if they don’t prescribe 
medications, this should still be your first step.

Why Therapy is Important

Let’s take a few moments to discuss the importance of therapy before moving onto the 
types of therapy that can be beneficial for this type of anxiety disorder. There are many 
reasons people see a therapist or psychologist when they have a mental illness, from 
actually wanting treatment, to wanting to discover where it came from. Therapists do 
more than just listen; they can analyze your thoughts and feelings and really come to 
the root problem.

With generalized anxiety disorder, it is unique because most likely it was something you 
were born with. If you have a close relative with GAD, like a parent or grandparent, you 
are genetically disposed to it. While other people get GAD later in life from other 
causes, there is often a strong genetic link. 

So, if you have GAD, you might go to therapy not to find out why you have it, but more 
to figure out what to do about it. They can provide so many different services, including:
Informing you about medications

Guiding you through cognitive behavioral therapy
Giving you tips for dealing with it daily
Helping you understand what your triggers might be
Letting you vent your frustrations with your anxiety

Also remember that when you see a therapist, it doesn’t have to be just for the 
generalized anxiety disorder. They can also help you work through other issues, 
whether you have depression, extreme stress, work problems, or relationship 
difficulties. It is generally recommended to everyone, those who have anxiety and those 
who don’t.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

While there are different types of therapy for generalized anxiety disorder, the most 
common one is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This is a practice that helps you 
work on long-term control and recovery of your mental illness. CBT is recommended for 
something like generalized anxiety disorder because it is simply a matter of managing it 
and its symptoms.

With cognitive behavioral therapy, the therapist helps you change your mindset and 
learn how to re-focus your thoughts when you feel those anxious and worried feelings 
creep up. It is generally a long-term course of treatment, with a minimum of 12 weeks 
needed to learn the coping skills through CBT.

Other Forms of Therapy

As mentioned, there are also some other types of therapy that your mental health 
professional might recommend to help you deal with GAD. This includes:

Exposure therapy – Exposure therapy is very closely related to cognitive behavioral 
therapy. It helps you learn how to control the fear you have and the fears that creep into 
your mind when you are feeling anxious. You will be exposed to the things, people, or 
situations that cause your anxious fears so that over time, you become less sensitive to 
them.

Hypnotism – Your therapist may recommend hypnotism if you are showing signs of 
other anxiety disorders, particularly PTSD. This is usually not something you get 
genetically, but after going through an event. With hypnotism, you are exposed to the 
trauma, but it hopefully helps you to figure out other causes of your GAD at the same 
time.

Interpersonal therapy – This is more of a short-term therapy method that works on the 
personal affects that your GAD might have. Usually this is recommended if you are also 
suffering from clinical depression in addition to your anxiety disorder.

Acceptance and commitment – Lastly, there is acceptance and commitment therapy, 
or ACT. In this type of therapy, you will learn to acknowledge your generalized anxiety 
disorder, then learn to accept it. It uses mindfulness quite a bit because you learn to be 
mindful of how you are feeling in the moment, but then you learn how change your 
thoughts and behaviors with those anxieties.

6. Lifestyle Changes to Help Deal With GAD

Now comes the time to learn about the more natural remedies for generalized anxiety 
disorder, which include lifestyle changes and things you can do at home. Keep in mind 
depending on the type of anxiety you have and whether or not you have other mental 
illnesses, this may only be part of your treatment option. Don’t rule out professional help 
and taking medications if needed.

Avoid Stimulants

The first change you will need to make is to cut back on all stimulants. Many stimulants 
might make you feel a little better in the short-term, but act as depressants, leaving you 
feel much worse afterward. Other stimulants, like caffeine and sugar, actually speed up 
your heart rate and can make you experience the physical triggers of a panic attack, 
which causes more anxiety, leading to an actual panic attack.

For these reasons, it is time to cut back on caffeine like coffee and soft drinks, sugar, 
alcohol, cigarettes, and any drugs. Talk to your doctor if you are finding it difficult to quit.
 
Get More Exercise

This one is great for overall health and wellness, not just for generalized anxiety 
disorder. You should be getting more physical activity every day, or as often as 
possible. This doesn’t have to be spending an hour in the gym every day, but trying to 
get your body moving. When you get more exercise, your brain starts releasing happy 
chemicals like endorphins, which is going to boost your mood. Over time, you will notice 
that this has a positive impact on your anxiety as well.

Focus on Better Sleep

Yes, you need to get better sleep. A major drawback with having GAD is that it can 
affect your sleep. Even though you often feel fatigued, once your head hits the pillow, all 
the thoughts and the worries and the fears start. Some people find that their anxiety is 
triggered by laying down, because they hear their heart beating, which causes anxiety 
about the speed of the heart rate and that leads to heart palpitations.

Try to do what you can to be rested enough by bedtime that you fall asleep quickly. This 
can be exercising more during the day, changing your diet, cutting out all caffeine, or 
starting a new bedtime ritual. Adding lavender essential oils to a diffuser in your room 
can be helpful, along with drinking chamomile tea or taking a hot bath before bed.

Remove anything that is going to stimulate your brain, including no TV in the room and 
turning off your cell phone.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Along with cutting back on sugar and caffeine, there are some other dietary changes to 
make. The healthier you eat, the more nutrients you get in your body, and the better 
both your body and brain will start to feel. When you constantly eat junk food, it triggers 
a response in your brain that tells you the only way you will feel better is to eat more 
junk food. This starts a bad habit of emotional eating that is hard to stop. 

The best thing you can do is start eating healthier and avoiding those junk food binges. 
Start filling up on water, fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. 

Practice Trigger Avoidance

If you have been tracking your panic attacks and moments of anxiety, you might have 
noticed certain triggers. As mentioned before, generalized anxiety disorder can cause 
anxiety or worry at any time, even without a trigger. But if you do have triggers, then you 
can try avoidance.

This means you are preventing situations that tend to trigger your anxiety responses. 
This might be when you talk to certain people, are around crowds like with social 
anxiety, or when you are have to give a presentation. Some things can’t be avoided, like 
going to the dentist, but you should be able to use other coping mechanisms for those.

Journal Every Day

A good way to deal with your anxiety daily and also to find out if you have triggers is by 
keeping a journal. An anxiety journal is a great way to figure out when, where, and why 
you are having anxiety and worries as part of your generalized anxiety disorder. This 
can be a journal just for anxiety, or used for other things as well. 

You don’t have to spend a lot of time writing in it if you don’t want to. At the very least, 
record when you have panic attacks or situations you are in when you felt more worry 
than normal. Write down who you were with and what you were doing so you can look 
for any patterns.

Socialize More Often

It can often be intimidating being around other people when you have an anxiety 
disorder like GAD, but it also helps you to feel better. You just need to choose the right 
people to spend time with. These should be people you feel comfortable with, who 
become your support system. 

Be honest and let them know about your anxiety, and reach out to them when needed. 
Have a close group of friends and family you can spend time with and not have to worry 
about someone seeing how your anxiety is being peaked.

Find Other Interests

Lastly, you can start re-focusing your mind on other things. Find hobbies or interests 
you can become involved in. This helps to express your creative energy and keep your 
mind off the fears and worries. If you are too afraid to take a class with strangers, just 
find a solo activity you can do at home. This also gives you something to distract you 
when you feel a bad panic attack coming on.

Generalized anxiety disorder isn’t easy, but with the right methods, you can learn to live 
with it and have a happy life at the same time.

