GAD Flashcards
Differential Diagnoses
Cannot be diagnosed during depression unless worries predated or if better explained by another disorder
Not due to medical or substance
Free floating anxiety not related to one specific area
GAD
WATCHERS
worry - difficulty to control and excessive anxiety tension concentration or mind blank hyperarousal or irritable energy or fatigue restless or keyed up sleep
4 or more over 6 months for most days
Worry is in a number of areas in life
distress or impairment
Facts
5% lifetime av age onset is 31 years earlier onset linked to severity and comorbidity chronic and relapsing female more chronic women 2x likely men more comorbid substance women more comorbid mood and anxiety
Risk Factors
- high trait anxiety
- negative affectivity
- gender socialization for women
problems in romantic relationships and lower qol
What are some maintaining factors for fear and anxiety?
Avoidance;
Overestimating the danger and ability to cope
Overestimating the likelihood.
When people with ‘normal’ worry solve a problem, what do they do?
When confronted with a problem, people with GAD worry excessively whereas those without stop worrying
Avoidance behaviour?
Pathological worriers cannot solve a problem because they find more things to worry about in the solution (‘catastrophising’) and worrying about a behaviour becomes an avoidance behaviour.
Avoidance of uncertainty leads to worrying about the future
