Do you find yourself worrying a lot during the day? Most of us worry to a certain extend during any given week, however, some individuals worry excessive and uncontrollable. If this is the case you might be suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder – GAD. The following criteria can help getting a better picture of what GAD is about:
Diagnostic criteria for GAD:
Excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation), occurring more days than not for at least six months, about a number of events or activities (such as work or school performance).
The person finds it difficult to control the worry
The anxiety and worry are associated with three (or more) of the following six symptoms (with at least some symptoms present for more days than not for the past six months). Note: only one item is required in children.
Restlessness
Being easily fatigued
Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
Irritability
Muscle tension
Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless unsatisfying sleep).
The focus of the anxiety and worry is not confined to features ofhaving a panic attack, being embarrassed in public, being contaminated, being away from home or close relatives, gaining weight, or having a serious illness, and the anxiety and worry do not occur exclusively during posttraumatic stress disorder.
The anxiety, worry, or physical symptoms cause significant distress or impairments in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g. a drug abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (hyperthyroidism) and does not occur exclusively during a mood disorder, a psychotic disorder, or a pervasive development disorder.
Living in the future
Individuals with GAD almost always report a poor quality of life, and much of this has to do with their tendency to live “in the future”. Stated differently, they have great difficulty living in the moment.
At Counselling Madrid we assist clients suffering from GAD by increasing their awareness of worrying (catching yourself worrying) and developing tools to manage the frequency and intensity of worrying while uncovering the beliefs clients hold about worrying.
