WHAT IS GAD?

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

is a feeling of constant worry or gloom for a prolonged period (weeks to months), in the absence of a proportionate cause. The anxiety is often about routine everyday events or tasks.

Over time,

it causes and is compounded by feelings of fatigue, exhaustion, and eventually episodes of panic, severe social anxiety, and an inability and / or unwillingness to perform everyday tasks.

GAD causes the body

to go into ‘fight or flight mode’ even in the absence of perceivable danger. Over time, the strain of this pattern causes the panic, restlessness, nervousness, fatigue, and even memory loss and insomnia.

Physical symptoms

can include headaches, backaches, stiff necks, digestive disturbances, twitching muscles and even spells of breathlessness.

If you feel your anxiety

is interfering with your daily life — if you are unable to feel joy in the things you used to love, feel like you are losing control over your life, and find that you are pushing harder and harder but functioning less and less effectively — see a doctor, a mental health counsellor or a clinical psychologist.

If GAD is diagnosed early,

it is easier to treat with one-on-one counselling and therapy along with lifestyle changes. If your condition is severe, you may be referred to a psychiatrist, who can prescribe medication and other medical treatments.