Worrying about the future is common and completely normal. However, if you experience extreme worry and anxiety on a daily basis that something bad is going to happen to you or your loved ones, you may be suffering from generalized anxiety disorder. Often referred to by its acronym, GAD, effective help is available for this condition.
Having GAD is like having a disaster radar that’s always on. Generalized anxiety disorder means that you suffer from generalized anxiety: it’s there no matter what situation you’re in and almost everything can feel like a threat. You often feel anxious, restless and worried. It can feel like you never get a break from worrying and that something terrible is going to happen – especially in situations where you risk losing control. Others may think you’re worrying for no reason.
Constant anxiety can lead to other problems, such as sleeping difficulties, fatigue, trouble concentrating and stress sensitivity. Parallel to this, you may feel low, suffer from recurring worrying thoughts or be afraid of contracting various illnesses. Physical symptoms such as muscle tension, headache, pain and heart palpitations are also common. The more your anxiety takes over, the less room you have to live the life you perhaps actually want to live.
GAD is one of several anxiety disorders, and it’s common to have several of them at the same time. Other anxiety disorders include social anxiety, panic disorder and phobias.
If your anxiety is interfering with and limiting your day-to-day life, you should seek help. This also applies if you self-medicate with alcohol or sedatives to cope with everyday situations.
If you suffer from GAD, we’d encourage you to seek help. There are many things you can do to improve your wellbeing, and the first step is to seek help. If you don’t know where to seek help, you can find local healthcare centres at 1177.se.
Treatment can help improve your wellbeing. Many different treatments are available, including psychological and medicinal therapies. These involve learning strategies to manage your anxiety so that it doesn’t affect or limit you as much. Speak to your doctor if you’d like to learn more about medicinal therapies.
Many people who’ve lived with anxiety for many years have found ways to improve their wellbeing. Finding out whether you have GAD or something else can help you better understand yourself and what you need. It can make you stronger and improve your self-esteem.
Gaining insight into your difficulties and getting help with them gives you a chance to improve your wellbeing.
Reviewed by: Jacqueline Levi, registered psychologist at Psykologpartners.
Last edited 2024-02-13