- Anxiety disorders cost the U.S. $42 billion a year.
- Anxiety disorders may develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics,
brain chemistry, personality, and life events.
- An estimated 19 million adult Americans suffer from anxiety disorders.
- Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about one-third of those suffering
from an anxiety disorder receive treatment.
WHAT IS GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD)?1
- Characterized by excessive, uncontrolled worry about everyday things.
- Physical symptoms: muscle tension, nausea, gastrointestinal discomfort, cold and
clammy hands, difficulty swallowing, jumpiness, difficulty sleeping.
WHO SUFFERS FROM GAD?2
- About 2.8% of the adult U.S. population ages 18 to 54 – approximately 4 million
Americans – has GAD during the course of a given year. GAD most often strikes people
in childhood or adolescence, but can begin in adulthood, too. It affects women more
often than men.
- Compared to most anxiety disorders, the onset of GAD usually occurs at a younger
age and the symptoms are slower to emerge.
1. Anxiety Disorders Association of American Fact Sheet.
2. “What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?” National Institute of Mental Health,
2003.