Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Generalised anxiety disorder (commonly known as GAD) is a chronic condition that causes individuals to feel anxious about a wide range of situations or issues, rather than focusing on a single specific situation.

People with GAD experience anxiety most days and often tend to catastrophize situations. For instance, if their partner is late returning from work, a person with GAD might assume they've been in an accident, rather than considering more likely scenarios such as being stuck in traffic.

Other characteristics of GAD include difficulty focusing, loss of concentration, and racing thoughts. If you have GAD, your daily life will be impacted by your anxiety, potentially affecting your sleep patterns, relationships, or even your ability to maintain a job. Once one issue is resolved, another may arise, making it challenging for you to feel relaxed and at ease.

The cause of GAD is largely unknown, diagnosing GAD can be challenging, as it requires distinguishing between those with GAD and individuals who naturally have a nervous temperament. Generally, GAD is diagnosed if the symptoms are persistent and interfere with daily activities.

The cause of GAD is largely unknown, although experts agree that a combination of factors likely contributes to its development. Research into the condition has revealed the following potential contributing factors:

• overactivity in the parts of the brain associated with behaviour and emotion

• an imbalance of mood-regulating brain chemicals, serotonin and noradrenaline

• genetics - if you have a close relative with GAD, you are more likely to experience it

• suffering from a long-term health condition, such as arthritis or chronic fatigue

• a history of major stress or trauma can trigger the condition

• having a history of drug or alcohol misuse

While the situations listed above may contribute to the development of GAD, many people develop the condition for no apparent reason.

GAD symptoms

Generalised anxiety disorder causes both psychological and physical symptoms. The severity of the symptoms experienced will differ from person to person - one may feel all of the listed symptoms, while another feels just one or two. Regardless of how many of the symptoms you relate to, if your symptoms are causing you distress and are affecting your everyday life, you are advised to seek professional support.

Psychological symptoms

GAD usually causes a change in the way you behave as well as the way you think and feel about things. This can result in the following symptoms:

• a sense of dread

• feeling 'on edge'

• feeling restless or unable to relax

• difficulty concentrating

• feeling irritable

• racing thoughts

• intrusive thoughts about worrying scenarios

These symptoms may cause you to avoid certain situations in order to prevent yourself from feeling anxious. This may see you withdrawing from your friends and family or from social contact altogether. Your symptoms may also make work difficult for you as it can trigger stress and anxiety, causing you to take time off. These actions can cause further worry and a low sense of self-esteem - continuing the cycle of anxiety.

Physical symptoms

Extreme anxiety can also lead to a number of physical symptoms, including the following:

• feeling lightheaded or dizzy

• feeling lethargic

• heart palpitations

• dry mouth

• muscle aches

• shortness of breath

• tension headaches

• digestive problems

• nausea

• difficulty sleeping/insomnia

Physical manifestations of anxiety can often lead to increased worry for those with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), prolonging the persistent feeling of unease. If you are concerned that your physical symptoms may not be related to your anxiety disorder, it is important to consult your general practitioner (GP).

Unlike other anxiety disorders, such as phobias, which have specific triggers, individuals with GAD may struggle to identify the source of their anxiety. This uncertainty can intensify feelings of unease and create a sense of helplessness. 

There are many different therapies available to those with generalised anxiety. The following are the most successful in clinical trials:

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

CBT principles help individuals better understand their thoughts and feelings. Hypnotherapy for anxiety works by resetting anxiety levels to a healthy state, clearing negative and unhealthy thoughts. belief systems that drive anxiety state and perception while reducing feelings of anxiety fear and intense worry and instilling calm and relaxation using a variety of therapeutic techniques with the integration of hypnotherapy and psychotherapy with the integration of Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most widely-used therapy for anxiety disorders panic attack, phobias, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, among many other conditions, offers a successful way to identify and understand anxiety fear response patterns and behavioural traits that might be causing and maintaining the client's anxious thought process. Cognitive Hypnotherapy identify negative thinking patterns and provides important management tools and skills. Through hypnotherapy, we can help manage unhelpful patterns and stressful situations more calmly, identifying, challenging and replacing negative thoughts with realistic thoughts.