Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)

2-minute read

What is generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)?

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a type of anxiety disorder where people have uncontrollable and persistent worry that affects their day-to-day life on an ongoing basis.

What are the symptoms of GAD?

You could be dealing with GAD if:

you uncontrollably worry about many different things, a lot of the time
your worry makes it hard to do everyday things like working and seeing friends
you're often tired but can't sleep properly
you constantly feel tense or restless
your heart races or your mouth gets dry
you have difficulty concentrating
you are irritable
your jaw or back is sore from muscle tension

If you have these symptoms on more days than not for 6 months or more, it could be GAD.

CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use our anxiety, stress and depression Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.

How is GAD treated?

GAD can be treated. If you're feeling constantly anxious and worried, the safest way to start dealing with GAD is to talk to a doctor or a mental health professional. A health professional might recommend supportive psychological therapy or, if it's more severe, prescribe medicines that can help manage anxiety.