Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Generalized Anxiety Treatment PittsburghWhat is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a mental health disorder characterized by excessive worrying about the everyday aspects of one’s life. It is called “generalized” because the anxiety comes in response to a lot of different things, rather than a specific one or two things. The worrying  and anxiety are unwanted, but seem uncontrollable. The disorder affects over 3% of the U.S. population. When the symptoms are mild to moderate, most people continue to live their lives and just tolerate the near constant distress. In more severe cases, it may become difficult to keep up with one’s responsibilities.


Constant Worries

GAD Anxiety Therapy PittsburghPeople with GAD experience chronic, exaggerated worries. These worries occur without there being any specific sign of trouble. If you are struggling with GAD, you may find yourself worrying excessively about:

  • Money issues
  • Health Concerns
  • Family Issues
  • Work Issues
  • School Issues
  • Your performance on a specific task or your overall competence
  • Worrying about worrying itself

Another critical component of GAD is an inability to stop the worries, even when you know that the worries are irrational.