When you are anxious you feel fearful and tense. In addition you may also have one or more unpleasant physical symptoms. These may be:
A fast heart rate.
The sensation of having a 'thumping heart' (palpitations).
Feeling sick (nausea).
Shaking (tremor).
Sweating.
Dry mouth.
Chest pain.
Headaches.
Fast breathing.
The physical symptoms are partly caused by the brain which sends lots of messages down nerves to various parts of the body when we are anxious. The nerve messages tend to make the heart, lungs and other parts of the body work faster. In addition, you release stress hormones (such as adrenaline) into the bloodstream when you are anxious. These can also act on the heart, muscles and other parts of the body to cause symptoms.
Anxiety is normal in stressful situations and can even be helpful. For example, most people will be anxious when threatened by an aggressive person. The burst of adrenaline and nerve impulses which we have in response to stressful situations can encourage a 'fight or flight' response. Some people are more prone to normal anxieties. For example, some people are more anxious than others before examinations. Anxiety is abnormal if it:
Is out of proportion to the stressful situation; or
Persists when a stressful situation has gone, or if the stress is minor; or
Appears for no apparent reason when there is no stressful situation.
What are anxiety disorders?
There are various conditions (disorders) where anxiety is a main symptom. This leaflet is about generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). See separate leaflets for other types of anxiety disorders (eg, social anxiety disorder, panic attack and panic disorder, phobias, acute stress reaction, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc).
What is generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)?
If you have GAD you have a lot of anxiety (feeling fearful, worried and tense) on most days. The condition persists long-term. Some of the physical symptoms of anxiety (detailed above) may come and go. Your anxiety tends to be about various stresses at home or work, often about quite minor things. Sometimes you do not know why you are anxious.
It can be difficult to tell the difference between normal mild anxiety in someone with an anxious personality and someone with GAD. As a rule, symptoms of GAD cause you distress and affect your day-to-day activities. In addition, you will usually have some of the following symptoms:
Feeling restless, on edge, irritable, muscle tension, or keyed up a lot of the time.
Tiring easily.
Difficulty concentrating and your mind going blank quite often.
Poor sleep (insomnia). Usually it is difficulty in getting off to sleep.
You do not have GAD if your anxiety is about one specific thing. For example, if your anxiety is usually caused by fear of one thing then you are more likely to have a phobia.
Who develops generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)?
GAD develops in about 1 in 50 people at some stage in life. Twice as many women as men are affected. It usually first develops in your 20s but is frequently being recognised in older people.
What causes generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)?
The cause is not clear. The condition often develops for no apparent reason. Various factors may play a part. For example:
Your genetic 'makeup' may be important (the material inherited from your parents which controls various aspects of your body). Some people have a tendency to have an anxious personality, which can run in families.
Childhood traumas such as abuse or death of a parent, may make you more prone to anxiety when you become older.
A major stress in life may trigger the condition. For example, a family crisis or a major civilian trauma such as a toxic chemical spill. But the symptoms then persist when any trigger has gone. Common minor stresses in life, which you may otherwise have easily coped with, may then keep the symptoms going once the condition has been triggered.
Some people who have other mental health problems such as depression or schizophrenia may also develop GAD.
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