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Generalized anxiety disorder
Make it clearer
Feeling anxious from time to time is a normal part of life. Generalized anxiety disorder is something else, and it is one of the most common mental disorders. At its center is worry: worry that doesn't go away, that is excessive, that revolves around everyday matters and that is very hard to control.
What sets it apart from ordinary anxiety is degree. In this disorder, worry shows up more often or more intensely, even when it doesn't match what is actually happening. It is like an alarm that goes off more often and louder than the situation calls for.
What is going on inside? The exact answer is still unknown. What is known is that the systems of two chemical messengers in the brain, serotonin and norepinephrine, are common pathways in anxiety. And it is thought that less serotonin activity together with more norepinephrine activity may contribute. It is a clue, not a settled answer.
In brief
The central feature of generalized anxiety disorder, one of the most common mental disorders, is persistent, excessive worry about everyday matters that is hard to control.
Its exact mechanism remains unclear: the serotonin and norepinephrine systems are common pathways in anxiety, and reduced serotonergic activity combined with increased noradrenergic activity may contribute.
Occasional anxiety is normal; here, worry is more frequent or intense, even when it is out of proportion to the situation.
An alarm that goes off more often and louder than it should.
Sources (2)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingGeneralized Anxiety Disorder, StatPearlsPublished
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of HealthGeneralized Anxiety Disorder: When Worry Gets Out of Control, National Institute of Mental HealthPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated