Does This Sound Like You? Do you worry all the time?

Please put a check in the box next to any problems you have had often over the last six months.

	I never stop worrying about things big and small.
	I have headaches and other aches and pains for no reason.
	I am tense a lot and have trouble relaxing.
	I have trouble keeping my mind on one thing.
	I get crabby or grouchy.
	I have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.
	I sweat and have hot flashes.
	I sometimes have a lump in my throat or feel like I need to throw up when I am worried.

If you put a check in the box next to some of these problems, you may have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a real illness. GAD There's Always Help; There's Always Hope 302 can be treated with medicine and therapy.

If you have GAD, you worry all the time about your family, health, or work, even when there are no signs of trouble. Sometimes you aren't worried about anything special, but feel tense and worried all day long. You also have aches and pains for no reason and feel tired a lot.

Everyone gets worried sometimes, but if you have GAD, you stay worried, fear the worst will happen, and cannot relax.

When does GAD start and how long does it last?
Most often GAD starts when a person is still a child or teenager. It can start in an adult too. More women than men have this illness.

People with GAD may visit their doctor many times before they find out what their real illness is. They ask their doctor to help them with the signs of GAD like headaches or trouble falling asleep, but don't get help for the illness itself.

Am I the only one with this illness?
No. You are not alone. In any year, 4 million Americans have GAD.

What can I do to help myself?
Talk to your doctor about your constant worry and tension. Tell your doctor about any other signs of GAD that you may have, such as aches and pains for no reason or trouble sleeping. Tell your doctor if these problems keep you from doing everyday things and living your life. You may want to show your doctor this booklet. It can help you explain how you feel. Ask your doctor for a checkup to make sure you don't have a different illness.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is much more than the normal anxiety people experience day to day. It's chronic and fills one's day with exaggerated worry and tension, even though there is little or nothing to provoke it. Having this disorder means always anticipating disaster, often worrying excessively about health, money, family, or work. Sometimes, though, the source of the worry is hard to pinpoint. Simply the thought of getting through the day provokes anxiety.

People with GAD can't seem to shake their concerns, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants. Their worries are accompanied by physical symptoms, especially fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, and hot flashes. People with GAD may feel lightheaded or out of breath. They also may feel nauseated or have to go to the bathroom frequently.

Individuals with GAD seem unable to relax, and they may startle more easily than other people. They tend to have difficulty concentrating, too. Often, they have trouble falling or staying asleep.

Unlike people with several other anxiety disorders, people with GAD don't characteristically avoid certain situations as a result of their disorder. When impairment associated with GAD is mild, people with the disorder may be able to function in social settings or on the job. If severe, however, GAD can be very debilitating, making it difficult to carry out even the most ordinary daily activities.

GAD affects about 4 million adult Americans, and about twice as many women as men. The disorder comes on gradually and can begin across the life cycle, though the risk is highest between childhood and middle age. It is diagnosed when someone spends at least 6 months worrying excessively about a number of everyday problems. There is evidence that genes play a modest role in GAD.

GAD is commonly treated with medications. GAD rarely occurs alone, however; it is usually accompanied by another anxiety disorder, depression, or substance abuse. These other conditions must be treated along with GAD.

For more information on Generalized Anxiety Disorder, an anxiety disorder, see Appendix VIII.