Diagnostic Parameter, Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a relatively common anxiety problem, affecting 3 - 4% of the population, Generalized anxiety disorder is much more than the normal anxiety people experience day to day. It's chronic and exaggerated worry and tension, even though nothing seems 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. The diagnostic criteria for GAD is as follows:

For more than half the days in at least 6 months, the patient experiences excessive anxiety and worry about several events or activities.

The person has trouble controlling these feelings.

Associated with this anxiety and worry, the patient has 3 or more of the following symptoms, some of which are present for over half the days in the past 6 months:

Feels restless, edgy, keyed up.
Tires easily.
Trouble concentrating.
Irritability.
Increased muscle tension.
Trouble sleeping (initial insomnia or restless, unrefreshing sleep).

The symptoms cause clinically important distress or impair work, social or personal functioning.

The disorder is not directly caused by a general medical condition or by substance use, including medications and drugs of abuse.

It does not occur only during a Mood Disorder, Psychotic Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or Pervasive Developmental Disorder.