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.
The first step to overcoming generalised anxiety disorder is to understand what gad really is, the signs of generalised anxiety disorder, how cbt for gad works, and how gad therapy can help you.
What is Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
Feeling irritable and snappy, and sometimes struggling to concentrate or focus, both as a result of feeling constantly anxious.
Feeling easily fatigued, and experiencing sleep problems - either difficulty falling asleep or problems staying asleep.
Experiencing anxiety, both emotionally and phyiscally, on a daily basis and feeling a sense of dread or impending doom.
Feeling constantly restless, wound-up or on edge, and experiencing muscle tension, often making it difficult to relax.
Excessive worry that's difficult to control about a range of topics, usually about something bad happening or things going wrong in some way.
Here are the most common signs of GAD I see in my clients:
Signs of Generalised Anxiety Disorder
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Generalised Anxiety Disorder begins with understanding how your GAD developed, how it presents itself, and what maintains it.
We then learn about worry and how to control it, along with building a tolerance to uncertainty and challenging any unhelpful beliefs about worry, using a variety of CBT tools and techniques (and I can include Mindfulness and Compassion Focused Therapy techniques too if useful).
And lastly we focus on adjusting any other areas of your life that may be contributing towards your difficulties with anxiety and worry.
CBT for Generalised Anxiety Disorder
Understand your triggers for anxiety and worry and how to deal with these
Implement relaxation strategies into your daily life to help you feel more in control
cope better with uncertainty and not let it fuel anxiety/worry
Be able to let go of worries without spiralling into more worry
Reduce unpleasant emotional and physical symptoms of anxiety
Understand different types of worries and how best to manage them
