Everyone worries sometimes. It’s part of being human. But with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), worry becomes the main character in your life story. It’s a long-lasting condition where you experience excessive anxiety and worry about many different things for months on end.

Think of your mind like a car alarm. For most people, that alarm only goes off if there is a real threat, like when someone is trying to break in. For someone with GAD, the alarm goes off all the time: when the wind blows too hard, when the mail is late or when a friend doesn’t text back right away. The brain is stuck in a state of high alert, even when there’s no immediate danger.

You’re definitely not alone in feeling this way. GAD is one of the most common anxiety disorders, affecting an estimated 7 million American adults. Almost 6% of American adults will experience GAD at some point in their lives.

Because these constant worries interfere with daily life, GAD is a medical condition that often makes it hard to focus, sleep or enjoy relationships. But the good news is that GAD is also highly treatable.

6 key criteria: Understanding GAD

To diagnose GAD, health care professionals use a guide called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The most recent version is the DSM-5-TR, for the fifth edition, text revision. This guide lays out a specific set of symptoms, or criteria, that must be met. For GAD, these include:

Excessive worry

This is the main sign. The person has anxiety and worry that is excessive, meaning it’s much stronger than what would normally be expected. This worry happens about a variety of different things, such as work, school, health, family, small chores or minor deadlines. It’s not just worrying about one thing. It’s worrying about almost everything. 

Difficulty controlling the worry

The person finds it very hard to stop or control the worrying thoughts. They may try to distract themselves or talk themselves out of it, but the worry keeps coming back, feeling overwhelming and impossible to turn off. It feels like the worry is controlling them, not the other way around. 

Symptoms that last for six months

The excessive anxiety and worry must happen on more days than not for at least six months. This is why GAD isn’t just a stressful week or two; it’s a long-term pattern of distress. This shows the worry isn’t just temporary, but a persistent part of daily life. 

Associated with three physical or cognitive symptoms

For a generalized anxiety disorder diagnosis,, the worry must also come with at least three of the following physical or mental symptoms (children only need one):

• Edginess or restlessness — Feeling keyed up, tense, or on edge like you can’t sit still
• Fatigue — Feeling worn out quickly, because the constant worrying drains all of your energy
• Trouble concentrating — Having difficulty focusing, feeling like your mind “goes blank” because it’s full of worries
• Irritability — Feeling annoyed or short tempered with others
• Muscle aches or soreness — Experiencing tension, headaches or muscle pain from constantly clenching your body due to stress
• Difficulty sleeping — Having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or having restless, unrefreshing sleep

Symptoms that cause distress or impairment

The anxiety, worry and physical symptoms must be severe enough to cause significant distress or interfere with the person’s daily life. This means it gets in the way of:

• Work or school — Making it hard to do your job or study effectively
• Relationships — Causing problems with friends or family because of constant worry or irritability
• Overall health — Making you feel physically sick or constantly run down

Not caused by other factors

The symptoms must not be due to the effects of a substance, like drugs or alcohol, or another medical condition, like a thyroid problem. A health care professional needs to rule out these possibilities first. This ensures that the diagnosis is accurate and points toward the right treatment.

Knowing these criteria can help you recognize when normal worry has crossed a line into something more. If you see yourself in many of these points, you’re not alone, and help is available.

What are the risk factors for developing GAD?

GAD can affect people of all ages, but certain factors can increase a person’s risk, such as:

• Age of onset — While GAD can start at any age, the risk is highest between childhood and middle age.
• Gender — Women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with GAD.
• Family history — Having family members with anxiety increases your risk.
• Trauma or significant stress — Experiencing childhood abuse, neglect, or ongoing difficult life circumstances, such as finances, work or school, can be a major risk factor.
• Other conditions — Having another mental health condition, like depression, or a chronic illness, like diabetes or heart disease, commonly co-occurs and may worsen symptoms of GAD.
• Substance use — Misusing alcohol or drugs can worsen anxiety symptoms.

Someone with several of these risk factors may want to be more proactive about watching for signs of GAD.

When is it time to seek help?

If reading these criteria made you nod your head, or if your worry is causing problems in your work, family life or physical health, it’s a good time to seek professional help. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Here are some red flags that say get help sooner rather than later:

• You can’t stop worrying even when you try.
• Your sleep is so disturbed that you wake up tired even after “enough” hours.
• You avoid social situations, work, school or daily tasks because of worry.
• You’re using alcohol or drugs to try to quiet your anxiety.
• You start thinking about self-harm or feel life isn’t worth living.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm thoughts, call or text 988, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, for immediate support.

Getting a diagnosis

The path to feeling better starts with a diagnosis. How does a health care professional diagnose GAD? Here’s how the process often works:

Doing a clinical assessment

They will ask detailed questions about your symptoms, family history and how long you’ve been struggling. They often use tools like the GAD-7, a brief screening questionnaire, to measure how severe your anxiety is. 

Ruling out other conditions

A doctor may order lab tests to rule out physical problems, like thyroid issues, that may be causing your anxiety symptoms. This step ensures that the diagnosis is correct, which is essential for effective treatment. 

Diagnosing

If you meet the criteria, then your health care provider may diagnose GAD and work with you to create a care plan.

Finding relief: Effective treatment options

The good news is that GAD can respond very well to treatment. The most effective approach usually combines therapy and medication. 

Therapy

Your therapist may use a variety of techniques to help you with GAD. Techniques may include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

CBT helps you identify and change the negative thinking patterns and behaviors that feed your anxiety. You learn to challenge your worries and react to stressful situations in a healthier, calmer way. 

• Mindfulness and acceptance

Learning to notice and accept anxious thoughts without judging them or immediately reacting to them can also be very helpful. 

Medications 

Medications can help regulate brain chemistry, reducing the intensity of the worry and allowing the therapy to work better. 

• Antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs)

These are often the first choice for GAD. They work by balancing key neurotransmitters like serotonin. 

• Anti-anxiety medications

Medications like buspirone (Buspar) are sometimes used because they are effective for GAD and have a low risk of dependency. 

Lifestyle changes

Making positive changes in your daily life can support your treatment:

• Regular exercise — Physical activity is a powerful stress reliever.
• Good sleep habits — Prioritizing consistent, quality sleep can help regulate your mood.
• Caffeine and alcohol limiting — These substances can often make anxiety symptoms worse.

Let Guidelight Health guide you on your path to peace

It takes courage to face constant worry, but relief is possible. Understanding the criteria for generalized anxiety disorder is the first step toward reclaiming your life from anxiety.

At Guidelight, we understand that treating GAD isn’t just about silencing your worries; it’s about helping you find confidence and stability. Our approach is rooted in compassionate care delivered by expert clinicians who are dedicated to your well-being. We know that the constant “on” switch of GAD is exhausting, and we’re here to support you.

We’re committed to providing you with personalized treatment that’s tailored exactly to your symptoms and life. We’ll be by your side every step of the way, offering kindness, encouragement and informed guidance you need to manage your worry and thrive.

Everyone has a seat at Guidelight. Contact our team online or call us today for more information about generalized anxiety disorder or to schedule an initial evaluation. We provide treatment across the country — and we’re always expanding. See if we offer care in your state, either online or at one of our local clinics.