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People experiencingsignificant anxietyrelated to changing circumstances in their lives may be confused about whether they are simply having a normal reaction to the change or are experiencing the beginning of an anxiety problem likegeneralized anxiety disorder(GAD). To complicate things further, GAD is often confused with other mental health issues likeadjustment disorder. Here’s what you should know about the differences between generalized anxiety disorder and adjustment disorders.

What Is GAD?

For instance, if you have GAD, you may insist your loved ones call you when they get home. If they don’t call you, you might assume they’ve been in a car accident. If you go shopping or out to eat, you might worry about your credit card being stolen or someone following you. Some people may find you to be irrational about how worried you are each day.

GAD can make you feel literally sick. You might experiencephysical symptoms of anxietysuch as:

GAD can be extremely debilitating, limiting you from enjoying daily life and harming interpersonal relationships. ​

What Is Adjustment Disorder?

When people experience a major change in their life, they can respond in a variety of ways. Sometimes the stress of these changes causes a significant emotional or behavioral change that affects normal functioning.

When this is the case, the person may have an adjustment disorder, which is a set of symptoms that develop within three months of the change and can involve significant anxiety. Adjustment disorder with anxiety is often an onset of worry, nervousness, anxiety, and irritability that is likely related to a specific event.

Symptoms of adjustment disorder can include:

How to Tell the Difference

For people with GAD, there is often a long and consistent history of having anxiety and worry about a variety of things. People with adjustment disorder, on the other hand, only experience their symptoms in times of stress or change.

Regardless if you have GAD or adjustment disorder, it is important to know that treatment is available and recovery is possible. Seeing a trained therapist can help you manage your symptoms and learncoping skillsto use in your everyday life. In some cases, a combination of therapy and anti-anxiety medications can help you regain control.

If you or a loved one are struggling with anxiety, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with anxiety, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

How Generalized Anxiety Disorder Is Treated

1 SourceVerywell 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.Patra BN, Sarkar S.Adjustment disorder: Current diagnostic status.Indian J Psychol Med. 2013;35(1):4-9. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.112193Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses, 5th edition, 2013.

1 Source

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.Patra BN, Sarkar S.Adjustment disorder: Current diagnostic status.Indian J Psychol Med. 2013;35(1):4-9. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.112193Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses, 5th edition, 2013.

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.

Patra BN, Sarkar S.Adjustment disorder: Current diagnostic status.Indian J Psychol Med. 2013;35(1):4-9. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.112193

American Psychiatric Association:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses, 5th edition, 2013.

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