Conditions and symptoms
What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder? GAD Explained
Generalized Anxiety Disorder · say it: JEN-er-uh-lyzd ang-ZY-uh-tee dis-OR-derAlso written: GAD, generalised anxiety disorder
Short answer
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental health condition with ongoing, hard-to-control worry about many everyday things.
What it means
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common mental health condition. People with GAD feel worried or anxious most days about many different things, such as health, work, money or family, and find it hard to switch the worry off. It can come with restlessness, tiredness, poor concentration, irritability, muscle tension and trouble sleeping.
It appears on medicine labels as an 'indication', meaning a condition the medicine is approved to treat. Several antidepressants, such as some SSRIs and SNRIs, are approved for GAD. These labels also carry the usual antidepressant warnings, such as watching for mood changes in young people and not stopping suddenly.
GAD is different from panic disorder, where the main problem is sudden attacks of intense fear. Everyday worry is normal; GAD is diagnosed when worry is persistent, hard to control and affects daily life.
Where you may see it
- The 'Indications' section of some antidepressant labels
- Mental health assessment and clinic letters
- Talking-therapy referral letters
📄 How it looks on a report
Indicated for the treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in adults.
🙅 What it does not mean
- Being prescribed an antidepressant for GAD does not mean you have depression.
- GAD is not a weakness or a lack of willpower; it is a recognised health condition.
- Medicine is not the only option; talking therapies are also used.
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Generalized Anxiety Disorder”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Alprazolam
a benzodiazepine, a type of central nervous system medicine
- Duloxetine
A serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) type of antidepressant medicine
- Escitalopram
a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a type of antidepressant
- Paroxetine
A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a type of antidepressant medicine
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Generalized Anxiety Disorder” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- NCI Dictionary definition ↗
US National Cancer Institute: “generalized anxiety disorder”
Seeing this word on your own report? Get every line of it explained, free.
Explain my report🧩 Related words
🔎 Look up another word
More words: conditions and symptoms
General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.