Generalised Anxiety Disorder: Understanding Symptoms & Treatment

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) can significantly impact your daily life, causing excessive worry and distress that is difficult to control. However, with the right understanding and treatment, people can overcome GAD and regain a sense of calm and control. In this blog post, we’ll explore what generalised anxiety disorder is, common symptoms, and effective treatment options for managing GAD including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

What is Generalised Anxiety Disorder?

Generalised Anxiety Disorder is characterised by excessive anxiety and worry about a number of different things. This means you’re not just worrying about one thing, like your health for example, you’re worrying about various different things, such as work, finances, and health.

It’s also important to note that someone with GAD finds it difficult to control the worry. GAD also creates a number of unpleasant physical symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, muscle tension and feeling tired. Not always, but often people with GAD describe themselves as having always been a worrier for as long as they can remember.

Signs of Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Have you ever found yourself wondering ‘do I have generalised anxiety disorder?’. Here are the most common symptoms of GAD I see in my clients:

• Excessive worry that’s difficult to control about a range of topics, usually about something bad happening or things going wrong in some way.
• Feeling constantly restless, wound-up or on edge, and experiencing muscle tension, often making it difficult to relax.
• Experiencing anxiety, both emotionally and physically, on a daily basis and feeling a sense of dread or impending doom.
• Feeling easily fatigued, and experiencing sleep problems – either difficulty falling asleep or problems staying asleep.
• Feeling irritable and snappy, and sometimes struggling to concentrate or focus, both as a result of feeling constantly anxious.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder Treatment

Fortunately, there are several effective treatments available. These include:

1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: CBT is considered the gold standard treatment for generalised anxiety disorder. It involves identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to worry, and teaching coping strategies to manage anxiety more effectively.
2. Mindfulness-Based Therapies: Mindfulness-based therapies, such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), can help people develop greater awareness and acceptance of their thoughts and feelings, reducing the impact of worry on daily life.
3. Medication: Antidepressant medications, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), may be prescribed to help alleviate symptoms of GAD. These medications can help regulate mood and reduce the intensity of anxiety symptoms.

How to Overcome Generalised Anxiety Disorder with CBT

CBT is highly effective in treating generalised anxiety disorder. Research shows significant reductions in symptoms and improvements in overall functioning. By targeting the underlying thoughts and behaviours that maintain the obsessions and compulsions, CBT helps you develop healthier coping mechanisms and strategies for managing anxiety and distress.

Key components of CBT for GAD may include:

• Psycho-education: Learning about the nature of GAD, its causes, and treatment options.
• Formulation: Understanding how your GAD developed, how it presents itself, and what maintains it.
• CBT Tools: Learning about worry and how to control it. Building a tolerance to uncertainty. Learning to identify and challenge unhelpful beliefs about worry. Coping strategies to manage anxiety symptoms. Problem-solving skills.
• Relapse Prevention: Putting together a plan at the end of therapy to help you continue progressing towards your goals and to minimise any setbacks.

The Benefits of CBT for Generalised Anxiety Disorder

CBT offers numerous benefits for individuals struggling with generalised anxiety disorder, providing a structured and evidence-based approach to symptom management and recovery. By understanding the symptoms of GAD and seeking Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to treat it, you can learn to manage your anxiety more effectively and regain a sense of calm and control in your life.

Here are some of the therapy benefits my GAD clients find most powerful:

• Understanding different types of worries and how best to manage them
• Reducing unpleasant emotional and physical symptoms of anxiety
• Being able to let go of worries without spiralling into more worry
• Coping better with uncertainty and not let it fuel anxiety/worry
• Implementing relaxation strategies into your daily life to help you feel more in control
• Understanding your triggers for anxiety and worry and how to deal with these

If you or someone you know is struggling with generalised anxiety disorder, consider reaching out to a qualified therapist who can provide support and effective treatment. With the right help and support, it is possible to overcome GAD and live a life free from excessive worry and anxiety.

Find Out More

I specialise in working with perfectionists. Perfectionism and generalised anxiety disorder often goes hand in hand. They share common underlying themes of excessive worry, fear of failure, overthinking and rumination, and avoidance. As a result I have lots of experience in helping clients successfully overcome GAD. If you’re looking for a BABCP Accredited Senior CBT Therapist for GAD Therapy, you can book an appointment here.

Useful Links

• What CBT is and How it Actually Works
• Subscribe to The Diary of a Perfectionist