Everything you need to know about generalised anxiety disorder
 

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is more than just feeling anxious or worried from time to time. Everyone will feel anxious at some point in their lives, whether it’s before a job interview or an exam, or it might be caused by something truly heart-racing like skydiving!

However, GAD is defined by persistent worry that affects your daily life, and it can be debilitating. Imagine feeling the same anxiety as someone jumping out of a plane each day, whether you’re doing something as simple as driving to work or meeting up with friends. 

Generalised anxiety disorder, like many other mental health conditions, is often misunderstood. That’s why we’ve compiled this guide to help you understand what GAD is, the symptoms, the difference between feelings of anxiety and GAD, and some of the treatment options you can seek out, whether it’s lifestyle changes or talking to your GP for support.

   

What is generalised anxiety disorder?

 

GAD can affect you both physically and mentally, and it can be very difficult to control and rationalise your anxious, intruding thoughts. As we mentioned earlier, generalised anxiety disorder is more than just feeling anxious before an important or daunting event; rather, it’s an on-going feeling of anxiety, usually about normal, everyday things.

Although anxiety is the main symptom in other types of anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social anxiety disorder, GAD is a little bit different, meaning you may feel anxious about a wide range of situations and issues rather than one specific thing. 

These other conditions usually have a root cause of anxiety. For example, if you have claustrophobia, the fear of small, enclosed spaces is the trigger for your anxiety. For those living with GAD, there are usually many issues at hand and getting through the day can feel extremely overwhelming.

   

In fact, people with GAD feel anxious most days and struggle to recall the last time they felt relaxed – even when one anxious thought is resolved, another will reappear, starting the vicious cycle again. GAD sufferers can expect to experience changes in their behaviour and the way they think and feel about things, resulting in psychological and physical symptoms like:

  • Restlessness
  • A sense of dread
  • Feeling ‘on edge’
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Irritability
  • Dizziness
  • Tiredness
  • A fast heartbeat or palpitations
  • Aches and tension in the muscles
  • Trembling or shaking
  • Dry mouth
  • Excessive sweating
  • Shortness of breath
  • Stomach ache
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Pins and needles
  • Insomnia

The symptoms of GAD can cause you to avoid situations that trigger these feelings of worry and dread, like withdrawing from social contact. Some people will even find going to work a stressful experience and may take time off sick. These actions can increase your anxious feelings and your lack of self-esteem.

   

What causes generalised anxiety disorder?

 

The cause of GAD isn’t completely understood, and sometimes, people develop it for no apparent reason. But there are a combination of several factors that researchers believe to play a role in the condition, including:

  • Overactivity in the brain
  • An imbalance of the brain chemicals serotonin and noradrenaline which are involved in the control and regulation of mood
  • Your genetics, as you’re estimated to be 5 times more likely to develop GAD if you have a close family member with the condition
  • A history of stressful or traumatic experiences
  • Having a painful, long-term health condition
  • A history of drug or alcohol misuse
 

Does generalised anxiety disorder qualify as a disability?

 

According to the Equality Act in the UK, a disability is a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial, adverse and long-term effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

The act focusses more on the effect of your mental health problem, such as anxiety, rather than the diagnosis.

In order for anxiety to qualify as a disability, you will need to show that your mental health problem:

  • Has a significant effect on your everyday life and day to day activities
  • Makes activities in life more difficult for you
  • Has lasted for at least 12 months or is likely to last 12 months

The law focuses on how your condition affects you without your treatment or medication, so if you are taking medicine or using psychological therapy, this is to be ignored and the focus is on how your anxiety affects you without treatment.

Under the Equality Act, you cannot be discriminated against because you have anxiety or any other mental health problem that qualifies as a disability.

Discrimination includes:

  • Being treated worse than other people because you have a disability
  • Treated badly or unfairly because of something that happens due to your disability
  • Practices or arrangements that put you and others with your disability at a disadvantage compared with those who do not have your disability
  • Harassment - behaviour that violates your dignity or creates an intimidating, degrading, offensive or humiliating environment
  • Victimisation - when an employer, company or organisation puts you at a disadvantage because you have made an allegation about discrimination or you have supported someone who has made an allegation of discrimination

If your mental health problem qualifies as a disability, the Equality Act states that employers and service providers should consider making reasonable adjustments (changes) if you're at a substantial disadvantage compared to those who do not have a mental health problem.

 

Treatment options

 

Living with GAD can be debilitating, so what can you do to reduce your anxiety? There are things you can try yourself, like joining a support group, exercising regularly, stopping smoking, and reducing the amount of alcohol and caffeine you drink.

Of course, these lifestyle changes might not work for everyone. However, there are other treatment options available on the NHS or by speaking to your GP, including psychological therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and antidepressant medication. With treatment, many people are able to control their anxiety levels and live a normal, happy life. 

tDCS is being studied for its potential in treating anxiety by sending a mild electrical current through specific areas of the scalp. It aims to normalize brain activity linked to anxiety, possibly reducing symptoms like excessive worry.

The Flow tDCS Portable Wireless Headset is an innovative brain stimulation treatment for anxiety and depression. It brings in-clinic techniques to the comfort of your own home. The headset is portable and wireless, making it a convenient option.

It uses a non-invasive brain stimulation method, providing you with a 30-minute brain stimulation session that is easy for you to fit into your daily routine.

66% of Flow users reported an improvement in their anxiety within 3 weeks. Flow tDCS Portable Wireless Headset offers you a treatment with no side effects.

 

Useful websites

     

Anxiety isn’t a nice feeling, but it is a normal feeling in certain situations, like before a hospital appointment, for example. But for people living with GAD, they are unable to control these intense feelings of anxiety, worry and dread, which can be extremely draining to live with.

Thankfully, there are effective treatment options available that you can do yourself or ask your GP about to ease your anxiety, providing you with methods to help you control your feelings and thoughts on a daily basis. If you need more information on GAD, visit the NHS or Mind website.

Alexandra Moses - Medical Content Writer
James O'Loan - CEO & Superintendent Pharmacist
James O'Loan , CEO & Superintendent Pharmacist on 13 March 2024
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