Anxiety · Treatment guide
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Chronic worry across multiple life domains, often with intolerance of uncertainty.
In this guide
Overview
GAD is driven by worry as a strategy — clients believe it prepares or protects them. Treatment targets worry behavior, intolerance of uncertainty, and avoidance, alongside relaxation and metacognitive beliefs about worry itself.
First-line treatments
- CBT — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Strong RCT support; worry exposure, behavioral experiments, cognitive restructuring.
Also consider
Worked cases
- Generalized anxiety disorder
Graduate student with chronic worry, somatic tension, and a belief that worrying prevents bad outcomes.
- Panic disorder with agoraphobia
Recurrent panic attacks for 18 months; avoidance has shrunk her radius to a 3-block neighborhood.