Everyone worries occasionally. It’s no big deal. However, anxiety becomes a problem when the worry becomes frequent and intense, as it does with so many of the patients I treat. When this constellation of symptoms lasts consistently for six months or more, the condition is known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

GAD creates problems on three levels: cognitive, physical, and emotional.

On the cognitive, or thought-related level, GAD results in excessive, unrealistic worry focusing on issues such as health, finances, career, and the well-being of loved ones. Do you find yourself worrying excessively about all of these areas, catastrophizing and predicting the worst possible outcome? If so, your body bears the burden of this runaway train of distressing thoughts.

The physical, or somatic, symptoms of GAD include trembling, muscular aches, insomnia, abdominal upset, dizziness, and feeling constantly wired or keyed up. Many of the physical features of this disorder result from excessive levels of stress hormones circulating throughout the body for prolonged periods of time.

Like Emily, many people with GAD first seek help from their family physician or even medical specialists before discovering that anxiety is actually the cause of their physical distress. These physical symptoms often create a vicious cycle in which anxiety snowballs: cognitive worry fuels physical symptoms, which fuel even more cognitive worry, causing the cycle to continue.

GAD also takes an emotional toll. The physical and mental effects of GAD often leave people feeling constantly revved up, irritable, on edge, and vulnerable to a world full of distressing possibilities. While Emily was managing to keep her head above water caring for her children, individuals experiencing GAD often find that their work, relationships, and family life begin to suffer. Emily’s physical symptoms, irritability, and pessimistic outlook were already placing considerable strain on her ability to parent her children.

Fortunately, therapeutic interventions can be extremely helpful for individuals experiencing Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It is possible to step off the runaway train of worry, regain a sense of calm, and improve both your mental and physical well-being.

Adapted from Anxiety Disorders: The Go-to Guide for Clients and Therapists (Daitch, C., 2011).

Women’s Stress and Anxiety Coaching Group

If anxiety has begun to take over your life, you don’t have to face it alone.

Beginning September 17 through October 15, 2026, I’ll be offering a 5-week Women’s Stress and Anxiety Coaching Group conducted live on Zoom.

Together we’ll learn practical, evidence-based strategies to better understand anxiety, interrupt patterns of excessive worry, calm the body’s stress response, and develop healthier ways of coping with life’s challenges. Recordings of each session will also be available for participants who are unable to attend live.

Program Details

  • Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. ET, September 17 – October 15, 2026
  • Five weekly Zoom sessions
  • Recordings available
  • Cost: $495

If you’re interested in learning more or would like to reserve a space, please contact me at:

Carolyn@carolyndaitchphd.com
(248) 626-8151 or (248) 421-7899

I look forward to hearing from you.

Warmly,

Carolyn Daitch, Ph.D.