Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, and it can be mild or severe.

Anyone can have feelings of anxiety at some stage in their life. You may feel worried and anxious about sitting an exam, or having a medical procedure or attending a job interview. Feelings of anxiety are perfectly normal in these situations.

However, some people find it difficult to control these worries. Their feelings of anxiety are present for longer periods of time and can often have an impact upon their everyday lives.

Anxiety is the main symptom of several conditions, including:

• panic disorder

• phobias, such as agoraphobia or claustrophobia

• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• social anxiety disorder (social phobia)

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The information in this section is about a specific condition called generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).

GAD is a long-term condition that can lead you to feel anxious about a number of different situations, rather than a single specific event. 

People with GAD feel anxious most days and often struggle to remember the last time they felt relaxed.

As soon as one anxious thought is resolved, another may appear about a different issue.

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Symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)

GAD can cause both psychological and physical symptoms, and change in the way you behave in addition to the way you think and feel about things, resulting in symptoms such as:

• Feeling anxious or on edge

• Increased irritability

• Restlessness

• Sense of dread

• Trouble concentrating

• Feeling “on edge”

• Worrying too much about different things

• Physical symptoms such as

  • ​​Tiredness
  • Dizzy
  • Muscle tension
  • Palpitations
  • Breathing - either struggle to breath or breathing faster

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When to get help for anxiety

Although feelings of anxiety at certain times are completely normal, it is advisable to see your GP if anxiety is affecting your daily life or causing you distress.

Your GP may ask about symptoms that you are experiencing and your worries, fears and emotions to find out if you could have GAD.

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What causes generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)?

The exact cause of GAD is not fully understood, although it's likely that a combination of several factors plays a role.

Research has suggested that these may include:

• overactivity in areas of the brain involved in emotions and behaviour

• an imbalance of the brain chemicals serotonin and noradrenaline, which are involved in the control and regulation of mood

• the genes you inherit from your parents – you're estimated to be 5 times more likely to develop GAD if you have a close relative with the condition

• having a history of stressful or traumatic experiences, such as domestic violence, child abuse or bullying

• having a painful long-term health condition, such as arthritis

• having a history of drug or alcohol misuse

But many people develop GAD for no apparent reason.

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Who's affected

GAD is a common condition, estimated to affect up to 5% of the UK population.

Slightly more women are affected than men, and the condition is more common in people from the ages of 35 to 59.

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How generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is treated?

GAD can have a significant effect on your daily life, but several different treatments are available that can ease your symptoms.

People with GAD can be inclined to try and control as much as possible in an attempt to reduce increased stress levels. Of course, this is not possible. People who worry a lot have a strong reaction to uncertainty; they can be quite intolerant to it. Intolerance of uncertainty can be described as the difficulty of accepting the fact that it is not completely impossible that a negative event might happen despite its low probability.

Psychological therapies – you can get psychological therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

With treatment, many people are able to control their anxiety levels. But some treatments may need to be continued for a long time and there may be periods when your symptoms worsen.

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Self-help for generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)

There are also many things you can do yourself to help reduce your anxiety, such as: 

• going on a self-help course

• exercising regularly

• stopping smoking

• cutting down on the amount of alcohol and caffeine you drink