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What is Generalised Anxiety Disorder?

People with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) worry excessively. Some do not know why they feel anxious, while others worry about their health, money, family or work. They are always anticipating a disaster, even though they often realise their worries are unfounded. Headaches, trembling and nausea can accompany the anxiety. GAD starts gradually, often in childhood or adolescence, and can improve with age. People who cannot cope with living with their anxiety are helped using talking therapies and drug treatments.

What causes anxiety?

Many researchers think that anxiety disorders are caused by a fault in the 'fear system' which enables us to recognise and react to danger. Although the symptoms vary, all anxiety disorders involve a person getting much more anxious than they need to in reaction to a potential 'threat'. Why are some of us more prone to overreacting in this way? Our individual experiences play a large part, but over-anxiety also seems to run in families. It may be linked to different levels of brain chemicals such as serotonin or noradrenaline.