Occasional anxiety happens to everyone as it is a normal part of daily life, but when the anxiety does not subside and continues to progress you are generally dealing with an anxiety disorder. Generalized Anxiety Disorder “GAD” is one of several anxiety disorders, it is a serious mental health condition that is characterized by persistent and excessive fear, worry, and perpetual feelings of being overwhelmed about everyday situations and events. Even when no reason can be pinpointed people struggling with GAD typically feel anxious a large part of the time.
GAD is estimated to affect about 3% of the adult population, with women and people assigned female at birth being twice as likely to be affected by GAD as men and people assigned male at birth. Typically the development of GAD occurs in childhood or adolescence, but it can also start in adulthood.
Symptoms of GAD can vary from person to person and often increase during stressful times. The main symptom that presents with individuals with GAD is relentless worry about everyday things. Other usual symptoms include fatigue, restlessness, muscle tension, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and sleep disturbances. In addition, physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, sweating, shortness of breath, and even heart palpitations tend to also be experienced. The seriousness and severity of the symptoms people experience can be debilitating and in turn interfere in many aspects of an individual’s life such as with everyday daily activities, work life, and in social relationships.
The exact cause of GAD is unknown, but is believed to develop from a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors. If anxiety disorders run in the family such as having a parent or sibling with it you are more susceptible to developing GAD. Environmental factors including experiencing trauma, chronic stress, and having to manage a long-standing illness can as well put you at increased risk for developing GAD. Additionally, personality traits can play a role such as perfectionism and neuroticism. Individuals with a personality type characterized by neuroticism/negative emotionality are at more risk of developing GAD compared to people with a personality type characterized by extraversion/positive emotionality.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is generally used by mental health professionals in diagnosing GAD. A thorough and comprehensive evaluation is typically performed on any individual that is presenting symptoms. Certain diagnostic criteria that is looked for is excessive worry for a minimum of six months, difficulty in controlling the worry, anxiety that is not due to a physical cause, and the presence of at least three or more cognitive or physical symptoms.
Living day to day with GAD can be both exhausting and challenging. Individuals struggling may start to pull back or completely avoid certain activities or situations that could potentially trigger their anxiety, which can spiral into both depression and social isolation. Luckily, there are effective treatment options available for individuals with GAD. Cognitive behavioral therapy “CBT” a form of psychotherapy is the gold standard, and one of the most popular treatments for GAD. CBT aims to bring awareness to and aids in making changes surrounding negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that result in anxiety. Medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors “SSRIs”, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors “SNRIs”, anxiolytics, and tri-cyclic antidepressants may also be prescribed by a healthcare provider or psychiatrist to help with managing symptoms. Overall, getting the proper diagnosis and treatment is of such importance as it can lead to potentially a more functional and improved quality of life.
There are Social Security disability benefits available for individuals with GAD if documentation of severe debilitation exists. To qualify for benefits evidence of the anxiety disorder must show that there is an affect as well as a negative impact upon normal life function, that the condition is chronic “minimum 12 months”, and meets at least one specific medical diagnosis. GAD specific SSA disability requirements include the existence of a minimum of three qualifying characteristics.
The link below is a quick and helpful resource to apply online for social security benefits for an anxiety disorder:
