Everyone worries from time to time. A looming deadline, an upcoming appointment, a difficult conversation you know you need to have. But for some people, worry is not something that comes and goes. It is there first thing in the morning, running in the background all day, and still going at 2am when the rest of the house is asleep. If this sounds familiar, you may be living with generalised anxiety disorder, or GAD.
What Makes GAD Different from Normal Worry
The difference between everyday worry and GAD is not about what you worry about. It is about how the worry behaves. Normal worry tends to be specific, proportionate, and time-limited. You worry about the presentation, give it, and the worry fades.
With GAD, worry becomes persistent and uncontrollable. One concern rolls into the next. You might resolve one issue only for your mind to immediately find something else to fixate on. The worry can feel free-floating, attaching itself to whatever is in front of you: finances, health, relationships, work, your children, things that may never happen.
People with GAD often describe a sense of never being able to switch off. The mind is always scanning for problems, always preparing for the worst. And because the worry feels productive (“at least I’m thinking about it”), it can be hard to recognise it as a problem at all.
The Physical Side of Constant Worry
Anxiety is not only a psychological experience. Living in a state of ongoing alertness takes a real toll on the body. Common physical symptoms of GAD include:
- Muscle tension, particularly in the jaw, shoulders, and neck
- Fatigue and feeling drained despite not doing anything physically demanding
- Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Headaches and stomach problems
- Feeling restless, keyed up, or on edge
- Difficulty concentrating or finding that your mind goes blank
Many people visit their GP about these physical symptoms without realising that chronic worry is the underlying cause. If you have been told there is nothing physically wrong but still feel unwell, GAD may be worth considering.
The Worry Cycle
GAD is maintained by a pattern that can be hard to break without support. It typically follows a cycle: you notice an uncertain situation, your mind generates “what if” thoughts, your body responds with tension and unease, and you try to resolve the uncertainty by thinking about it more. This thinking feels helpful in the moment, but it actually keeps your anxiety going because most of the things you worry about cannot be resolved through thought alone.
Over time, this cycle trains the brain to treat uncertainty as a threat. Even minor unknowns can trigger a disproportionate anxiety response. You may find yourself seeking reassurance from others, over-planning, checking things repeatedly, or avoiding situations where you cannot predict the outcome.
How Therapy Helps
GAD responds well to structured psychological therapy. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most widely researched and recommended approach. In CBT for GAD, you learn to identify and challenge the patterns of thinking that keep worry going, test out whether your predictions come true, and gradually build tolerance for uncertainty.
Other approaches can also be effective. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you change your relationship with worry, rather than trying to eliminate it. Instead of fighting anxious thoughts, you learn to notice them, step back, and refocus your energy on what matters to you. Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) can be particularly helpful if your worry is accompanied by self-criticism or a strong sense that you should be able to cope better than you are.
At The Tunbridge Wells Psychologist, we see many adults who have lived with GAD for years before seeking support, often because they assumed constant worry was just part of their personality. It is not. GAD is a well-understood condition with effective treatments, and most people notice meaningful improvement within 8 to 16 sessions.
Taking the First Step
If worry has become your default setting, therapy can help you reclaim a quieter mind. You do not need to wait until things feel unbearable. Get in touch to book a free 15-minute consultation and find out how we can help.
