In some ways, anxiety is a useful emotion. It can help you recognize that a desolate street isn’t safe to be by yourself, or prevent you from procrastinating on a lengthy project. But when anxiety gets blown out of proportion or you find yourself worrying about every little thing, it’s no longer useful or healthy.
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one type of anxiety disorder that includes having exaggerated worry or tension over various issues that may not seem like a big deal to others. The worries occur throughout the day, for different reasons, for weeks on end. For some people with GAD, this acute worrying can be endless — and mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting.
Dr. Saltz is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine and a psychoanalyst with the New York Psychoanalytic Institute.
Dr. Hartstein is the owner of Hartstein Psychological Services, a group psychotherapy practice in New York City.
Dr. Watkins is a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she's the Associate Director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, and was previously the Associate Training Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training Program.
References
Anxiety and Depression Association of America. (2022). Facts & statistics.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America. (2022). Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Anxiety and Depression Association of America. (2022). Substance abuse disorders.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2023). Anxiety disorders.
Why trust our experts?
