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How is generalized anxiety disorder diagnosed?

To diagnose generalized anxiety disorder, your doctor may start by asking questions about your symptoms and medical history. To be diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, a person generally feels anxiety or worry most of the time for six months or more and experiences three of the following criteria: feeling irritable, feeling restless, getting tired easily, having sore or tense muscles, finding it hard to concentrate, and having difficulty sleeping.

FAQ Frequently asked questions

What is generalized anxiety disorder?

Almost everyone will worry or feel anxious at some time. You might worry about an exam that is coming up, or feel anxious about speaking in front of an audience. People with generalized anxiety disorder feel worried or anxious most of the time, even …

What are the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder?

The main symptom of generalized anxiety disorder is feeling worried or anxious most of the time. People with generalized anxiety disorder may get tired very easily, feel restless or irritable, find it hard to concentrate, have tense or …

What are the causes of generalized anxiety disorder?

It is not known exactly what causes generalized anxiety disorder. Many factors are thought to contribute to the development of the condition. This might include experiencing a major stressful event, such as the death of a loved one or …

How is generalized anxiety disorder treated?

Treatment for generalized anxiety disorder may involve a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Psychotherapy involves meeting with a therapist to discuss your thoughts and feelings and any problems that you may be having. In particular, a …

How does cognitive behavior therapy help with generalized anxiety disorder?

Cognitive behavior therapy is a type of psychotherapy that aims to teach people how to change their thinking habits. It can teach people with generalized anxiety disorder how to tell when worrying is not productive …

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of worry or nervousness about something. Anxiety may cause your heart to beat faster than normal, cause hot and cold flushes and tightening of the chest. It is normal to feel anxious in certain situations, such as before giving a presentation, …

Who gets generalized anxiety disorder?

Anyone can get generalized anxiety disorder. People are more likely to develop the condition if they have a close family member with the condition, have experienced a major stressful event, such as the death of a loved one or loss of a job, or had a …

Is there a way to prevent getting generalized anxiety disorder?

Because the causes of generalized anxiety disorder are not fully understood, there is no known way to prevent the condition. There are some steps that can be taken to help reduce anxiety; finding time to relax, exercising …

How common is generalized anxiety disorder?

Generalized anxiety disorder is one of the most common types of anxiety disorders. In Australia, it is thought that around one in seven adults are affected by the condition every year.

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About this article

Author: Dr Idan Ben-Barak PhD, MSc, BSc (Med)
First answered: 21 Oct 2014
Last reviewed: 19 May 2018
Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Votes: 617 (Click smiley face below to rate)
Category: Post-traumatic stress disorder

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