Understanding Generalized Anxiety Disorder

People with generalized anxiety disorder feel extremely worried about typically everyday things. These worries often relate to responsibilities, finances, or health – whether their own health or that of a loved one.¹ Generalized anxiety disorder is different from normal worries in that the anxiety is greater, lasts longer, and is often not caused by one specific worry.¹

People with generalized anxiety disorder experience feelings of worry most of the time.¹ For example, the person may worry about their job, looking after their household, or being late for an appointment.¹ The person’s worries seem out of proportion when compared with the actual likelihood of something bad happening, yet they find it difficult to control their feelings.¹ If one worry is resolved, the person is likely to shift to worrying about something else.¹

In addition to excessive worry, people with generalized anxiety disorder may have symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, feeling on edge, becoming tired more easily, and feeling irritable.¹ People with the disorder may also experience physical symptoms such as sweating, nausea, and diarrhea.¹

Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder can come and go across a person’s lifetime, but it is considered a long-term (chronic) disorder, and very few people will completely overcome their symptoms.¹

Worldwide, 3.7% of people suffer from generalized anxiety disorder.² The disorder is more common in high-income countries (5.0%) than in low-income countries (1.6%).² Most people diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder are middle aged, but symptoms occur across a range of ages.^1,2 Generalized anxiety disorder is twice as common in women than in men.¹

A global survey by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that 51% of people with generalized anxiety disorder are severely disabled in some aspect of their home, work, relationship or social life.² People with the disorder miss an average of 8 days of work or activities per year because of their disorder.³ People with generalized anxiety disorder are also more likely to report poor overall well-being and quality of life than people without the disorder.⁴

People who are concerned that they – or their loved ones – are experiencing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder should see their doctor for help and advice. Generalized anxiety disorder is diagnosed based on an interview with the doctor, who will ask a person about their symptoms and experiences. Although it is a relatively common disorder, in one study 71% of cases were not detected by primary physicians.⁵ The high rate of misdiagnosis is thought to be due to a large overlap of symptoms with other anxiety and mood disorders, and the fact that many people with generalized anxiety disorder also suffer from other conditions, most commonly social phobia.⁶

There is no current cure for generalized anxiety disorder; however, symptoms can be managed and a person’s quality of life can be improved using a combination of medication and support from professionals and loved ones.⁷