Major Anxiety Disorder Or A Born Worrier?

6 min readFeb 19, 2022

Let’s figure it out together

DISCLAIMER: I am not a trained psychiatrist, psychologist, or counsellor. The information in this post is not intended to replace medical advice or give you a positive diagnosis of an anxiety disorder. If you suspect you may be suffering from anxiety, always see a trained professional to be officially diagnosed and, much more importantly, get the help you need. The information here is based on my own experiences of the symptoms of anxiety and how it felt for me. Not everyone may feel the same way. It does not mean there is nothing wrong. This post is for information only.

I’ve talked a lot about the symptoms of depression, so today we’re going to talk about anxiety. In the past, someone suffering from anxiety might have been called “a bit of a worrier.” This is wrong for two reasons. First, it minimises and diminishes what can be a very serious mental illness. Secondly, worrying or feelings of anxiety are far from the only symptoms of anxiety disorders. So let’s start by clarifying what anxiety is.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is not being worried about something, in the same way depression is not feeling sad about the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, or the end of a relationship. Anxiety about an exam or a job interview or because your workload seems more than you can manage is perfectly natural. It’s in response to a particular stressor and will go once that event has passed.

GAD, on the other hand, is long-term anxiety about multiple events. If you suffer from GAD, you’ll likely feel anxious almost every day and find it very hard to relax. As soon as one worry resolves itself, your brain latches on to another and often, it may be a worry about something that is not ever going to happen. So what are the symptoms of GAD?

Emotional Symptoms