Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptoms of GADClinical AssessmentWhen to Seek HelpDifferential DiagnosisFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Generalized Anxiety Disorder GuideGeneralized Anxiety Disorder: Causes and Risk Factors
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms of GAD
Clinical Assessment
When to Seek Help
Differential Diagnosis
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Guide
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Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can be a challenge to diagnose. People considerpanic attacksa hallmark of all anxiety disorders, but GAD is different in that there are generally no panic attacks associated with the condition.
As a result of this misconception, without the experience of panic attacks, a person may think they are “just worrying too much.” Their struggles with constant worry may be minimized or dismissed and, in turn, not properly diagnosed or treated.
Most of us experience worry and situations that can cause us to feel anxious, so what are professionals looking for to help determine if someone’s worry and anxiety are related to GAD?
The first step is to evaluate symptom criteria, as outlined in “The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” 5th Edition, Text Revision (also known as the DSM-5-TR). Mental health professionals look for factors like excessive, hindering worry paired with a variety of physical symptoms,then use proven diagnostic assessments to make a diagnosis and rule out other possibilities.
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TheDSM-5-TRoutlines specific criteria to help professionals diagnose generalized anxiety disorder. Having a standard set of symptoms to reference when assessing clients helps them to more accurately diagnose mental health concerns and, in turn, create a more effective plan of care.
Criteria for Diagnosing GAD
When assessing for GAD, clinical professionals are looking for the following:
In adults, the worry can be about job responsibilities or performance, one’s own health or the health of family members, financial matters, and other everyday, typical life circumstances. In children, the worry is more likely to be about their abilities or the quality of their performance (for example, in school). Many people with GAD also experience symptoms such as sweating, nausea, or diarrhea.
The anxiety, worry, and other associated symptoms make it hard to carry out day-to-day activities and responsibilities. They may causeproblems in relationships, at work, or in other important areas of life.
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During an assessment, your clinician will use the diagnostic criteria, standardized assessments, and their clinical judgment to make a diagnosis.
Generally, they will ask about your symptoms in an open-ended way, but you may also be asked to complete self-report questionnaires. These typically brief measures can help determine the diagnosis (as the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 does) or severity of symptoms.
In specialized care settings, like an anxiety disorders clinic, standardized assessment tools are sometimes used to evaluate symptoms. In this case, your clinician conducts a semi-structured interview. The interview is likely to include a standardized set of questions, and your answers will help your clinician to make an accurate diagnosis.
Commonly used and well-validated diagnostic interviews for adults include the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID) and the Anxiety and Related Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-5 (ADIS-5). There is a child version of the ADIS, in which both the parent and the child are asked about the child’s symptoms. These interviews also evaluate the presence of other associated conditions such asdepression.
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Your Visit
Remember to be honest with your provider at the first visit—both when filling out forms and discussing your symptoms face-to-face. Being upfront and honest can help determine what is happening and put together a plan of care specifically tailored to your needs.
Self-Assessment
Many people who struggle with GAD experience symptoms for a long time before seeking help. Reaching out for a diagnosis can feel challenging, especially when anxiety feels so constant and widespread.
Only around 20% of people who have symptoms of anxiety seek treatment. In 2020, a national coalition of women’s health professionals recommended that all women aged 13 and older should be screened for anxiety.The lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders is approximately two times higher in women than in men, so preventative screenings may be helpful in ensuring that women and girls receive appropriate interventions to improve health and well-being.
Contacting a mental health or other clinical provider is a courageous step that can help clarify what is happening and, in turn, lead to creating a plan of care that can help you find relief and regain a sense of well-being.
When deciding to seek help, something to consider is how difficult it is to feel any sense of calm, comfort, and reassurance around your worry.
If you find yourself constantly seeking reassurance from others, or repeatedly trying different methods of stress management and relaxation to no avail, it may be worth contacting a professional.
Also, know that not experiencing panic attacks is another primary reason people don’t seek help for their anxiety. Their worry may be chronic and concerning but, because there are no periods of acute panic attacks, they simply chalk the challenges up to being a “worrywart.”
Additionally, take note of the physical symptoms that are accompanying your worry. As the anxiety continues, you may find more and more challenges with things like headaches, digestion, restlessness, and fatigue. Should you find that your worry feels excessive and begins leading to other physical symptoms, you may benefit from talking with a mental health or other care providers.
Finding a Clinician
Take time to research and seek out providers who specialize in the treatment of anxiety. Because anxiety is present in so many mental health conditions, you will want to talk with someone who understands the specific criteria required so you can be accurately diagnosed and treated.
Primary care physicians can often provide referrals to trusted and specialized mental health providers. Otherwise, to find a psychotherapist in your area, consult referral resources such as:
TheAmerican Psychiatric Association(APA) is a national organization of psychiatrists that can also provide recommendations for local providers who are able to provide psychiatric evaluation and prescribe medications.
Another option is totry an online therapy program.
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Anxiety symptoms can be found in many categories of mental health conditions listed in the DSM-5-TR, such as mood disorders,eating disorders, and cognitive disorders. Within the category of anxiety disorders, there are many symptoms that will overlap and anxiety conditions can sometimes be confused with one another.
The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends that all adults under the age of 65 get screened for anxiety symptoms during routine doctor visits.While sitting with a mental health provider, they will be seeking information that will help them to best diagnose your condition. To give adifferential diagnosismeans to distinguish one condition from another when there are symptoms that overlap.
Some conditions that may need to be ruled out include:
There can be other behaviors and symptoms that can be present with anxiety. For example, when someone engages in self-sabotaging behavior, such asprocrastination, they can be perceived as struggling with self-regulation and behavioral conditions. Overlooking elements of anxiety related to this behavior can end up creating an obstacle for someone to receive effective treatment.
Sitting with a qualified professional to determine an accurate diagnosis is key. Having the willingness to reach out for help, being honest with your provider, and participating actively in treatment can help you regain a sense of well-being.
Anxiety disorders listed in the DSM-5-TR are:Anxiety disorder due to another medical conditionAgoraphobia,Generalized anxiety disorderPanic disorderSelective mutismSeparation anxiety disorderSocial anxiety disorderSpecific phobiaSubstance/medication-induced anxiety disorderOther specified anxiety disorderUnspecified anxiety disorder
Anxiety disorders listed in the DSM-5-TR are:
There are 11 distinct anxiety disorders in the DSM-5-TR as well as one panic attack specifier. In the DSM-5, first published in 2013, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were moved to separate sections.
Keep in Mind
Remember: GAD is a treatable condition. There is no need for you (or your child) to worry in silence. Treatment, particularly psychotherapy, self-help approaches, or other therapies, will teach you a variety of ways tocope with your anxiety. There are alsomedicationsthat can help.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Causes and Risk Factors
13 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bandelow B, Boerner J R, Kasper S, Linden M, Wittchen HU, Möller HJ.The diagnosis and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2013;110(17):300–310. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0300Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.Hirsch CR, Mathews A.A cognitive model of pathological worry.Behav Res Ther. 2012;50(10):636-646. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2012.06.007Rector NA, Kamkar K, Cassin SE, Ayearst LE, Laposa JM.Assessing excessive reassurance seeking in the anxiety disorders.J Anxiety Disord. 2011;25(7):911-7. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2011.05.003Gale CK, Millichamp J.Generalised anxiety disorder in children and adolescents.BMJ Clin Evid. 2016;2016:1002.Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D.Treatment of anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):93–107.Yoon KL, Zinbarg RE.Generalized anxiety disorder and entry into marriage or a marriage-like relationship.J Anxiety Disord. 2007;21(7):955-65. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2006.10.006Back SE, Brady KT.Anxiety disorders with comorbid substance use disorders: Diagnostic and treatment considerations.Psychiatr Ann. 2008;38(11):724–729. doi:10.3928/00485713-20081101-01Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale.Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).Screening for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).Gregory KD, Chelmow D, Nelson HD, et al.Screening for anxiety in adolescent and adult women: A recommendation from the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative.Ann Intern Med. 2020. doi:10.7326/M20-0580US Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for Depression and Suicide Risk in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.JAMA.2023;329(23):2057–2067. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.9297American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC; 2013.Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition). Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.Brown, TA, Barlow DH.Treatments That Work: Anxiety and Related Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-5. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.First MB, Williams JBW, Benjamin LS, Spitzer RL, First MB.SCID-5-PD: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2016.
13 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bandelow B, Boerner J R, Kasper S, Linden M, Wittchen HU, Möller HJ.The diagnosis and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2013;110(17):300–310. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0300Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.Hirsch CR, Mathews A.A cognitive model of pathological worry.Behav Res Ther. 2012;50(10):636-646. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2012.06.007Rector NA, Kamkar K, Cassin SE, Ayearst LE, Laposa JM.Assessing excessive reassurance seeking in the anxiety disorders.J Anxiety Disord. 2011;25(7):911-7. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2011.05.003Gale CK, Millichamp J.Generalised anxiety disorder in children and adolescents.BMJ Clin Evid. 2016;2016:1002.Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D.Treatment of anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):93–107.Yoon KL, Zinbarg RE.Generalized anxiety disorder and entry into marriage or a marriage-like relationship.J Anxiety Disord. 2007;21(7):955-65. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2006.10.006Back SE, Brady KT.Anxiety disorders with comorbid substance use disorders: Diagnostic and treatment considerations.Psychiatr Ann. 2008;38(11):724–729. doi:10.3928/00485713-20081101-01Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale.Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).Screening for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).Gregory KD, Chelmow D, Nelson HD, et al.Screening for anxiety in adolescent and adult women: A recommendation from the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative.Ann Intern Med. 2020. doi:10.7326/M20-0580US Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for Depression and Suicide Risk in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.JAMA.2023;329(23):2057–2067. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.9297American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC; 2013.Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition). Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.Brown, TA, Barlow DH.Treatments That Work: Anxiety and Related Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-5. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.First MB, Williams JBW, Benjamin LS, Spitzer RL, First MB.SCID-5-PD: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2016.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Bandelow B, Boerner J R, Kasper S, Linden M, Wittchen HU, Möller HJ.The diagnosis and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2013;110(17):300–310. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0300Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.Hirsch CR, Mathews A.A cognitive model of pathological worry.Behav Res Ther. 2012;50(10):636-646. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2012.06.007Rector NA, Kamkar K, Cassin SE, Ayearst LE, Laposa JM.Assessing excessive reassurance seeking in the anxiety disorders.J Anxiety Disord. 2011;25(7):911-7. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2011.05.003Gale CK, Millichamp J.Generalised anxiety disorder in children and adolescents.BMJ Clin Evid. 2016;2016:1002.Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D.Treatment of anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):93–107.Yoon KL, Zinbarg RE.Generalized anxiety disorder and entry into marriage or a marriage-like relationship.J Anxiety Disord. 2007;21(7):955-65. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2006.10.006Back SE, Brady KT.Anxiety disorders with comorbid substance use disorders: Diagnostic and treatment considerations.Psychiatr Ann. 2008;38(11):724–729. doi:10.3928/00485713-20081101-01Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale.Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).Screening for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).Gregory KD, Chelmow D, Nelson HD, et al.Screening for anxiety in adolescent and adult women: A recommendation from the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative.Ann Intern Med. 2020. doi:10.7326/M20-0580US Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for Depression and Suicide Risk in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.JAMA.2023;329(23):2057–2067. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.9297American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC; 2013.
Bandelow B, Boerner J R, Kasper S, Linden M, Wittchen HU, Möller HJ.The diagnosis and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2013;110(17):300–310. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0300
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Hirsch CR, Mathews A.A cognitive model of pathological worry.Behav Res Ther. 2012;50(10):636-646. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2012.06.007
Rector NA, Kamkar K, Cassin SE, Ayearst LE, Laposa JM.Assessing excessive reassurance seeking in the anxiety disorders.J Anxiety Disord. 2011;25(7):911-7. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2011.05.003
Gale CK, Millichamp J.Generalised anxiety disorder in children and adolescents.BMJ Clin Evid. 2016;2016:1002.
Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D.Treatment of anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):93–107.
Yoon KL, Zinbarg RE.Generalized anxiety disorder and entry into marriage or a marriage-like relationship.J Anxiety Disord. 2007;21(7):955-65. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2006.10.006
Back SE, Brady KT.Anxiety disorders with comorbid substance use disorders: Diagnostic and treatment considerations.Psychiatr Ann. 2008;38(11):724–729. doi:10.3928/00485713-20081101-01
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).Screening for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
Gregory KD, Chelmow D, Nelson HD, et al.Screening for anxiety in adolescent and adult women: A recommendation from the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative.Ann Intern Med. 2020. doi:10.7326/M20-0580
US Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for Depression and Suicide Risk in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.JAMA.2023;329(23):2057–2067. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.9297
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC; 2013.
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition). Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.Brown, TA, Barlow DH.Treatments That Work: Anxiety and Related Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-5. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.First MB, Williams JBW, Benjamin LS, Spitzer RL, First MB.SCID-5-PD: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2016.
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition). Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.
Brown, TA, Barlow DH.Treatments That Work: Anxiety and Related Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-5. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.
First MB, Williams JBW, Benjamin LS, Spitzer RL, First MB.SCID-5-PD: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2016.
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