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The main feature of this disorder is excessive anxiety and worry that is
difficult to control, for more days than not, over a period of six months. The
focus of the worry is not on the symptoms of another anxiety disorder, eating
disorder, or irrational fears of having a serious illness. Instead they are
about ordinary life events such as:
- Work/school
- Relationships
- Finances
- Family well being
- Potential misfortunes
- Impending deadlines
The anxiety and worry are associated with three of the following six symptoms
with some symptoms present, for more days than not, for the past six months:
- Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge
- Being easily fatigued
- Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless and
unsatisfying sleep)
The anxiety, worry, or physical symptoms cause significant distress or
impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
People with GAD frequently have problems dealing with uncertainty, which
causes them to worry more than those who accept uncertainty. They try to avoid
uncertainty, get around it, or eliminate it in a variety of ways. This can be
extremely difficult because uncertainty is an unavoidable part of everyday life.
Also, many chronic worriers believe that worry is actually useful and are
reluctant to give it up. Finally, problem-solving ability can be limited, in
part, due to the heavy reliance on worrying, which has delayed the development
of helpful skills for solving difficulties. |
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