Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is excessive, hard-to-control worry occurring more days than not for at least 6 months, defined per DSM-5-TR (American Psychiatric Association).
Symptoms
Persistent, excessive worry about everyday things, along with restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance -- present more days than not for 6 months or longer.
Causes and risk
A combination of genetics, temperament, and life stress; GAD frequently co-occurs with depression and other anxiety disorders.
How it is evaluated
Diagnosis follows DSM-5-TR criteria and typically uses the GAD-7 screening tool to gauge severity, per JAMA review guidance.
Treatment
CBT and SSRIs/SNRIs are both first-line and comparably effective, per AAFP guidance and a 2026 JAMA Internal Medicine review; benzodiazepines are discouraged for routine or long-term use given dependence risk.
When to seek care
Thoughts of self-harm, or physical symptoms that mimic a cardiac event (chest pain, shortness of breath) alongside anxiety, both warrant prompt evaluation -- call 911 or the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you are in immediate danger.