What is excessive worry?

To worry is to feel anxious or fearful about things. This means you might assume the worst about something that may or will happen in the future.

It's natural to worry about things that are important in your life, such as taking an exam or going to a job interview. This worry motivates you to study or prepare and is generally short-lived. When in a new or challenging situation, some worry can help you:

• keep safe
• solve problems
• reach your goals
• perform better

If you find your worrying is hard to control, this can be a problem. Excessive worrying might:

• be persistent (there all the time)
• be out of proportion to the situation
• lead to avoidance or seeking lots of reassurance
• be hard to manage or get away from

Excessive worry is one of the main symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder. A person with generalised anxiety disorder often worries about different areas of their life, such as:

• finances
• health
• the safety of themselves or others
• relationships
• work
• education

What are the symptoms of excessive worry?

People who experience excessive worry and anxiety may have physical and mental effects, such as:

• restlessness
• tiring easily (fatigue)
• irritability
• trouble sleeping
• muscle tension
• difficulty getting relief or moving on from their worries

You might start avoiding situations that trigger (cause) your worry. This can interfere with your daily life.

People with generalised anxiety disorder may also have other mental health conditions. These can include depression or social anxiety disorder.

What causes excessive worry?

Anxiety disorders that involve excessive worrying can be caused by a combination of environmental and genetic (inherited) factors. These include:

• a family history of anxiety
• stressful life events
• having certain personality traits, such as perfectionism

When should I see my doctor?

You should seek help from your doctor or a mental health professional if your worries:

• affect your life on most days
• are hard to control or deal with
• cause you to avoid activities
• cause you distress

You may find it difficult to reach out to your doctor about how you are feeling. You can read some tips for talking to your doctor about mental health.

When should I seek urgent care?

Excessive worrying can make you feel very distressed.

If you, or someone you know, is in immediate danger of hurting themselves or others, call triple zero 000.

How is excessive worry diagnosed?

To help make sense of your worries and anxieties, you can speak to your doctor or a mental health professional. They may ask about your:

• worries
• symptoms
• personal situation and experiences

How is excessive worry treated?

Excessive worrying is managed by helping you to understand how anxiety affects your body and mind.

Treatments can include:

• psychoeducation — learning about the problem and how it affects your mind and body
• psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) — to help you challenge unhelpful thoughts
• medicines

Your doctor may suggest you see mental health professional, such as a:

• psychologist or psychiatrist
• counsellor
• social worker

There are also ways you can help yourself to cope with excessive worry and anxiety.

Self-care at home

Self-care for excessive worry can include:

• mindfulness
• meditation
• relaxation techniques for stress relief
• progressive muscle relaxation
• being kind to yourself
• doing fun things

You can also try planning your worry time — this may help stop your worrying taking over at other times. Set aside 10 minutes a day to think about your worries or write them down.

Try to find new, helpful ways to look at a worrying situation. You can do this by challenging your self-talk. Try asking yourself:

• Is my worrying reasonable — is it likely to happen?
• Is my worrying useful — is it likely to help the situation?
• Could I be doing something else instead that would be more helpful?

Medicines for excessive worry

Medicines may be an option if you have anxiety and intense worry.

Talk to your doctor about your worrying. They can speak to you about any medicines that could be useful.

Lifestyle measures

A healthy lifestyle can help to reduce stress and worry. This might include:

• getting enough sleep
• eating a healthy diet
• making sure you get enough physical activity
• avoiding or reducing nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and other drugs
• spending time outdoors and in nature
• spending time with family and friends
• doing activities you enjoy

What are the complications of excessive worry?

Excessive worrying and general anxiety can prevent you from living your life in the way you want. It can become harder to manage if left untreated.

If you have excessive worry, you may be more likely to experience substance misuse.

If you find yourself coping with stress by using drugs or alcohol, speak to your doctor for support. You can look for healthy coping strategies to help with worry and stress. You can:

• try to exercise regularly
• practice mindfulness
• build healthy habits

You can read more about how to help someone who is misusing drugs or alcohol.

Can excessive worry be prevented?

It can be hard to prevent worries. If your worrying starts to impact your life, seek help. This can help prevent you from developing a mental illness like an anxiety disorder.

Resources and support

If you need help, talking to your doctor is a good place to start. For more information and support, there are organisations that can help.

• Beyond Blue — for anyone feeling depressed or anxious. Call 1300 22 4636 or chat online.
• Lifeline — for anyone experiencing a crisis or thinking about suicide. Call 13 11 14 or chat online.
• The Suicide Call Back Service — phone and online counselling for people who are thinking about suicide. Call 1300 659 467.
• Medicare Mental Health — for advice and to get connected to local mental health services, call 1800 595 212. Check the operating times.

Languages other than English

You can visit the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health website for resources in multiple languages.

You can also read Headspace's Anxiety fact sheet in Chinese, Greek, Vietnamese, Farsi and Italian.

Translated resources are also available on the Alcohol and Drug Foundation website.

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

You can visit the 13YARN website for mental health resources. You can also call on 13 92 76 to talk with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter.

You can visit the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation website for mental health fact sheets.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.