12 Typical Symptoms Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

3. Know that they worry much more than they should

Unlike a phobia, when your fear is associated with a specific object or scenario, GAD anxiety is diffuse—a general sense of dread or uneasiness that pervades your whole existence. This anxiety is less than a panic attack, but it lasts considerably longer, making regular living difficult and relaxation impossible. It is both intellectually and physically taxing to suffer with generalized anxiety disorder. It depletes your vitality, disrupts your sleep, and exhausts your body. The ultimate outcome is the same whether you recognize that your concern is greater than the circumstance requires or feel that your worrying protects you in some manner. Your nervous thoughts will not go away. They keep playing over and over in your brain. However, no matter how overwhelming things appear right now, you can break free from chronic worrying, learn to quiet your nervous mind, and reclaim your attitude of hope. Although the terms worry and anxiety are sometimes used interchangeably, the two are completely different psychological states.

“Worry tends to be more focused on concepts in our minds, whereas anxiety is more visceral in that we feel it throughout our body,” according to Psychology Today. When we worry, our thoughts are frequently triggered by actual or particular problems that may be resolved via problem solving. A troubling thought may be, “If I don’t study hard enough, I won’t pass my test.” Once you’ve identified the problem and found the solution, which is to study hard, you’ll be able to move on from this thinking and reduce your fear.