Generalized Anxiety

What is Problematic Worry/Generalized Anxiety?

Problematic worry or generalized anxiety refers to a pattern of excessive and frequent worrying that is difficult to control. These problematic worries are often disproportionate to the level of risk or threat posed by the thing you are worried about. It can be about relatively mundane events, such as a loved one being slightly late coming home from work or being asked to have a meeting with your boss.

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a mental health condition where an individual experiences persistent, excessive, and uncontrollable worry about numerous events. People with GAD are often apprehensive and struggle with catastrophic thinking, meaning they anticipate the worst possible outcome to occur in any situation. They tend to worry excessively about a wide range of everyday concerns, including work, finances, health, and relationships.

Symptoms of GAD include:

  • Pervasive and excessive worry about multiple events or activities lasting for at least 6 months

  • Difficulty controlling worry

  • Experiencing 3 or more of the following:

    • Restlessness or feeling on edge

    • Being easily fatigued

    • Trouble concentrating

    • Irritability

    • Muscle tension

    • Difficulty falling or staying asleep

  • The worrying causes significant distress or impairment

How Do We Treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) can be treated through psychotherapy. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is especially helpful in treating GAD by teaching people how to identify and challenge unhelpful thinking and behavioural patterns that increase and perpetuate anxiety about negative outcomes and perceived inability to cope with feared outcomes. By going through behavioural experiments related to uncertainty in a safe environment, we can learn that our worries aren’t as accurate as we think and that we are capable of coping with distress. Practicing mindfulness is also part of the treatment process to help increase acceptance of distress.