Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) involves excessive worry about several life areas and frequent need for reassurance. Children with GAD may have muscle tension, restlessness, sleep problems, and/or concentration difficulties that accompany their worries. Their worries often concern possible catastrophic events, or performance in school and/or social activities. The worry is unrealistic, largely uncontrollable, and distressing. They may ask a lot of “what if…” questions and want reassurance that everything will be okay. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and certain types of medication have been shown to be helpful in the treatment of anxiety disorders.