Anxiety

Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety during their lifetime. For example, you may feel worried and anxious about sitting an examination, or having a medical test, or a job interview. Feeling anxious sometimes is perfectly normal. However, for people with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), feelings of anxiety are much more constant, and tend to affect their day-to-day life.

Anxiety conditions

There are several conditions for which anxiety is the main symptom. Panic disorder, phobias, and post-traumatic syndrome can all cause severe anxiety. For further information about these conditions, see the relevant pages listed on the right.

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)

This article deals generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). GAD is a long-term condition that makes people feel anxious about a wide range of situations and issues, rather than one specific event. People with GAD find that they feel anxious most days, and will often struggle to remember the last time that they felt relaxed. GAD can cause both psychological and physical symptoms.

GAD affects approximately 1 in 50 people at some stage during their lifetime. Slightly more women are affected than men, and the disorder is most common during your 20s.

GAD can significantly affect your daily life, making it difficult for you to perform everyday tasks. However, there are several different treatment options available, which can help ease both your psychological and physical symptoms.