What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Disease description:
I feel anxious about everything, and recently I've been having trouble concentrating in class. I've read online that this might be generalized anxiety disorder. Could you please explain to me what generalized anxiety disorder is?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Zhang Baohua
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic anxiety disorder primarily characterized by persistent feelings of tension and unease. Its main feature is that patients exhibit excessive and prolonged worry and anxiety about various events or activities in daily life, far beyond what is actually necessary. The anxiety experienced by patients is not limited to specific situations or objects, but rather generalizes across multiple aspects of life, such as work, health, family, finances, and persists for at least six months or more. GAD has a relatively high prevalence rate, affecting approximately 3% to 5% of the population, with more women affected than men. Its specific symptoms include:
1. Mental Anxiety: Uncontrollable worry, irritability, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, muscle tension, fatigue, and possible physical discomfort. The feelings of nervousness, anxiety, and unease lack a clear object or fixed content and are not related to any specific situation.
2. Motor Restlessness:表现为坐立不安、烦躁不安，有时出现面部、颈部或肩部的肌肉发紧、僵硬。
3. Physical (Somatic) Anxiety: Affects multiple body systems, such as the digestive, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems, manifesting as dry mouth, shortness of breath, palpitations, and other physical symptoms.
