Do you ever feel that you worry too much?

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a psychological disorder that results in a chronic state of worrying or a highly anxious state of being for those who suffer with this often exhausting condition.

The inability to focus, loss of concentration, exaggerated worry, tension and racing thoughts are all associated with GAD. We have all suffered from anxiety and worry from time to time in our lives but what sets GAD sufferers apart from the normal level of worrying is the acute anxiety and length of time spent in this state. Often a sufferer will have catastrophic thoughts, which can lead to all sorts of worst case scenarios for any given situation. Obsessive thinking and insomnia are often associated with GAD as is low self-esteem and problems coping with relationships, work etc.

The exact causes of GAD are relatively unknown, but it appears that women are more predisposed than men to suffer with anxiety and GAD may also run in families, therefore genetics may play a part. Those who class themselves as perfectionists and over achievers are also more likely to suffer with one form of anxiety or another, as are the negative, shy and timid.

There is a lot of help out there for GAD sufferers, and specialised GAD therapy along with other therapies such as BWRT® (brain working recursive therapy) and hypnotherapy can all be very beneficial, helping those who suffer with anxieties to get themselves back to feeling normal in a relatively short space of time.