Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPsychotherapyMedicationSelf-HelpThe Best Option for YouNext in Generalized Anxiety Disorder GuideHow to Cope With Generalized Anxiety Disorder
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Medication
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Treatment for GADaims to help people feel better mentally and physically and to increase engagement with the people, places, and situations that previously elicited worry.
Given the far-reaching effect that anxiety can have on day-to-day functioning, evenlow-grade anxietythat does not meet the threshold for a firm diagnosis can be worth working on.
Verywell / Cindy Chung
Press Play for Advice On Dealing With AnxietyThis episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring radio host Charlamagne Tha God, shares how to manage anxiety. Click below to listen now.
Press Play for Advice On Dealing With Anxiety
This episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring radio host Charlamagne Tha God, shares how to manage anxiety. Click below to listen now.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) is the gold standard of psychotherapy and one of the most popular treatments for GAD. Proven to work for adults just as effectively as it does for younger patients, CBT focuses on present difficulties and current situations. CBT is typically a short-term, structured treatment that focuses on the interplay between the conscious thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that perpetuate anxiety.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy(ACT) is another present- and problem-focused talk therapy used to treat GAD. Although similar to CBT, the goal of ACT is to reduce the struggle to control anxious thoughts or uncomfortable sensations and increase involvement in meaningful activities that align with chosen life values. ACT can produce symptom improvement in people with GAD, and may be a particularly good fit forolder adults.
Other Talk Therapies
Two other types of “talk therapy”—psychodynamic therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy—can also be used in the treatment of GAD.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy, also known as insight-oriented therapy, is based on the idea that thoughts and emotions that are outside of our consciousness (i.e., outside of our awareness) can lead to internal conflict and manifest as anxiety.
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Thedifferent types of medications usedin the treatment of anxiety include:
Also, another “older” category of antidepressants—monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)—are sometimes used.
Anxiolytics, such as benzodiazepines, do not treat the underlying cause of anxiety, but they are effective in the treatment of symptoms. However, this class of medication has some notable drawbacks, including potential side effects like sedation and a tendency to be habit-forming. Buspirone (Buspar) is one medication in this class that is approved for the treatment of GAD and is not known to be habit-forming. There is some evidence that buspirone may also help augment antidepressants.
Tricyclic antidepressants are an older type of antidepressants that are used less commonly because they may carry some potentially significant side effects.
Speaking with a clinician—a physician or mental health provider—is the best way to figure out next step(s). Depending on the nature and extent of the anxiety symptoms, one or a combination of the approaches described above may be useful.
In general, mild or intermittent anxiety may improve with the use self-help resources. Self-help resources are also a good option for those wishing to pursue an evidence-based psychotherapy who lack access to specialized care. Self-help options can also be used in conjunction with ongoing treatment, or to prevent relapse and promote continued progress after the conclusion of a course of psychotherapy.
If your symptoms are persistent, are impacting your day-to-day functioning and/or the important relationships in your life, or are clearly noticeable to others, then more formal treatment is worth considering.
For anxiety of a moderate to a severe degree, a course of psychotherapy may be indicated. Medications can help with persistent anxiety of any degree.
When considering psychotherapy versus medication, it is important to note that psychotherapy may take longer to bring symptom relief than medication, but its effects can also be longer lasting (i.e., the insight and skills learned in psychotherapy are retained after treatment ends). And for some individuals with GAD, maximizing treatment—taking medication and participating in psychotherapy—maximizes results.
With medication or psychotherapy treatment, find a provider you trust and ask questions to fully understand what type of treatment you will be receiving as well as its risks and benefits (You can read more on deciding if medication is right for you here).
When pursuing treatment of any kind, it is important to be patient and to participate in regular monitoring of symptoms (and, in the case of medication treatment, side effects) with your clinician.
A Word From Verywell
While the symptoms associated with GAD are undeniably uncomfortable, the good news is that they are treatable. The treatments described above will take work, but the work will pay off in the form of relief and respite from anxiety and worry.
How to Cope With Generalized Anxiety Disorder
4 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.David D, Cristea I, Hofmann SG.Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is the Current Gold Standard of Psychotherapy.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:4. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004Hans E, Hiller W.A meta-analysis of nonrandomized effectiveness studies on outpatient cognitive behavioral therapy for adult anxiety disorders.Clin Psychol Rev. 2013;33(8):954-964. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2013.07.003Higa-McMillan CK, Francis SE, Rith-Najarian L, Chorpita BF.Evidence Base Update: 50 Years of Research on Treatment for Child and Adolescent Anxiety.J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2016;45(2):91-113. doi:10.1080/15374416.2015.1046177Petkus AJ, M A, Wetherell JL.Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Older Adults: Rationale and Considerations.Cogn Behav Pract. 2013;20(1):47-56. doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.07.004Additional ReadingAllgulander C.Generalized anxiety disorder: a review of recent findings.J. Exp. Clin. Med.2012;4, 88-91.Hoge EA, Ivkovic A, Fricchione GL.Generalized anxiety disorder: diagnosis and treatment.BMJ.2012;345, e7500.Kahl KG, Winter L, Schweiger U.The third wave of cognitive behavioural therapies: what is new and what is effective?Curr. Opin. Psychiatry. 2012;25, 522–528.Newman MG, Crits-Christoph PF, Szkodny LE. Generalized Anxiety Disorder. In L Castonguay & T Oltmanns (Eds.),Psychopathology: From Science to Clinical Practice. New York: Guilford Press. 2013; p. 62-87.Roemer L, Orsillo SM, Salters-Pedneault K.Efficacy of an acceptance-based behavior therapy for generalized anxiety disorder: evaluation in a randomized controlled trial.J. Cons. Clin. Psych.2008;76,1083-1089.
4 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.David D, Cristea I, Hofmann SG.Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is the Current Gold Standard of Psychotherapy.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:4. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004Hans E, Hiller W.A meta-analysis of nonrandomized effectiveness studies on outpatient cognitive behavioral therapy for adult anxiety disorders.Clin Psychol Rev. 2013;33(8):954-964. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2013.07.003Higa-McMillan CK, Francis SE, Rith-Najarian L, Chorpita BF.Evidence Base Update: 50 Years of Research on Treatment for Child and Adolescent Anxiety.J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2016;45(2):91-113. doi:10.1080/15374416.2015.1046177Petkus AJ, M A, Wetherell JL.Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Older Adults: Rationale and Considerations.Cogn Behav Pract. 2013;20(1):47-56. doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.07.004Additional ReadingAllgulander C.Generalized anxiety disorder: a review of recent findings.J. Exp. Clin. Med.2012;4, 88-91.Hoge EA, Ivkovic A, Fricchione GL.Generalized anxiety disorder: diagnosis and treatment.BMJ.2012;345, e7500.Kahl KG, Winter L, Schweiger U.The third wave of cognitive behavioural therapies: what is new and what is effective?Curr. Opin. Psychiatry. 2012;25, 522–528.Newman MG, Crits-Christoph PF, Szkodny LE. Generalized Anxiety Disorder. In L Castonguay & T Oltmanns (Eds.),Psychopathology: From Science to Clinical Practice. New York: Guilford Press. 2013; p. 62-87.Roemer L, Orsillo SM, Salters-Pedneault K.Efficacy of an acceptance-based behavior therapy for generalized anxiety disorder: evaluation in a randomized controlled trial.J. Cons. Clin. Psych.2008;76,1083-1089.
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.
David D, Cristea I, Hofmann SG.Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is the Current Gold Standard of Psychotherapy.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:4. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004Hans E, Hiller W.A meta-analysis of nonrandomized effectiveness studies on outpatient cognitive behavioral therapy for adult anxiety disorders.Clin Psychol Rev. 2013;33(8):954-964. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2013.07.003Higa-McMillan CK, Francis SE, Rith-Najarian L, Chorpita BF.Evidence Base Update: 50 Years of Research on Treatment for Child and Adolescent Anxiety.J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2016;45(2):91-113. doi:10.1080/15374416.2015.1046177Petkus AJ, M A, Wetherell JL.Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Older Adults: Rationale and Considerations.Cogn Behav Pract. 2013;20(1):47-56. doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.07.004
David D, Cristea I, Hofmann SG.Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is the Current Gold Standard of Psychotherapy.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:4. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004
Hans E, Hiller W.A meta-analysis of nonrandomized effectiveness studies on outpatient cognitive behavioral therapy for adult anxiety disorders.Clin Psychol Rev. 2013;33(8):954-964. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2013.07.003
Higa-McMillan CK, Francis SE, Rith-Najarian L, Chorpita BF.Evidence Base Update: 50 Years of Research on Treatment for Child and Adolescent Anxiety.J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2016;45(2):91-113. doi:10.1080/15374416.2015.1046177
Petkus AJ, M A, Wetherell JL.Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Older Adults: Rationale and Considerations.Cogn Behav Pract. 2013;20(1):47-56. doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.07.004
Allgulander C.Generalized anxiety disorder: a review of recent findings.J. Exp. Clin. Med.2012;4, 88-91.Hoge EA, Ivkovic A, Fricchione GL.Generalized anxiety disorder: diagnosis and treatment.BMJ.2012;345, e7500.Kahl KG, Winter L, Schweiger U.The third wave of cognitive behavioural therapies: what is new and what is effective?Curr. Opin. Psychiatry. 2012;25, 522–528.Newman MG, Crits-Christoph PF, Szkodny LE. Generalized Anxiety Disorder. In L Castonguay & T Oltmanns (Eds.),Psychopathology: From Science to Clinical Practice. New York: Guilford Press. 2013; p. 62-87.Roemer L, Orsillo SM, Salters-Pedneault K.Efficacy of an acceptance-based behavior therapy for generalized anxiety disorder: evaluation in a randomized controlled trial.J. Cons. Clin. Psych.2008;76,1083-1089.
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