Generalized Anxiety Disorder
The essential feature of Generalized Anxiety Disorder is excessive anxiety and worry occurring more days than not for a period of at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities. The individual also finds it difficult to control the worry. The anxiety and worry are accompanied by at least three additional symptoms from a list that includes restlessness, being easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and disturbed sleep. The focus of the anxiety and worry is not confined to features of another Axis I disorder.
DSM-IV Criteria for 300.02 Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Includes Overanxious Disorder of Childhood
A) Excessive anxiety about a number of events or activities, occurring more days than not, for at
least 6 months.
B) The person finds it difficult to control the worry.
C) The anxiety and worry are associated with at least three of the following six symptoms (with
at least some symptoms present for more days than not, for the past 6 months)
- Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge
- Being easily fatigued
- Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbance
D) The focus of the anxiety and worry is not confined to features of an Axis I disorder, being
embarrassed in public (as in social phobia), being contaminated (as in obsessive-compulsive
disorder), being away from home or close relatives (as in separation anxiety disorder),
gaining weight (as in anorexia nervosa), having multiple physical complaints (as in
somatization disorder), or having a serious illness (as in hypochondriasis), and the anxiety and
worry do not occur exclusively during posttraumatic stress disorder.
E) The anxiety, worry, or physical symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment
in social or occupational functioning.
F) The disturbance does not occur exclusively during a mood disorder, a psychotic disorder,
pervasive developmental disorder, substance use, or general medical condition.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder treatment:
WCA recommendations for the long-term treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most popular and commonly used psychotherapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. CBT for Anxiety focuses on how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors develop into patterns that maintain the anxiety cycle. The intention of CBT is to use cognitive techniques to challenge unhelpful or distorted thoughts while using behavioral techniques to reduce the worry behaviors.