GAD Test

Category: GAD Online Therapy | Last updated: October 8th, 2018 | Reviewed and approved by:
Dr. Steven Gans, MD

Signs and symptoms of GAD

When suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the normal worrying that people feel about life is out of control. You experience a daily, overwhelming and irrational anxiety that just won’t go away. A person with GAD has difficulty controlling his/her worries, even when they are aware that the worry is excessive.

What is typical when suffering from GAD, is that you do not worry about one specific thing (like phobia), but instead constantly change to something new to feel anxious about. This means that you start a new cycle of anxiety over and over again, which then contributes to the difficulty of breaking this bad habit.

Anyone who has been tense and nervous knows that it can also affect the body physically. When you are about to have an interview, take a test, make a difficult decision etc. it is normal to feel sore muscles, headache, stomach problems and rapid heartbeat. When you suffer from GAD, these physical symptoms might be there constantly, which, of course, is not healthy for you at all. With all these physical symptoms, it is quite common that people suffering from GAD ignore the mental aspect and do not seek help for their anxiety problems but instead only their physical problems.

When suffering from GAD there is also an increased risk of further anxiety disorders, substance abuse or depression. It is, therefore, important that you get help as soon as possible. GAD usually begins in childhood or adolescence and it is more common in women than in men.

Common emotional, behavioral and physical symptoms of GAD

Feeling more or less constantly anxious
Excessive worrying that is intrusive and persistent
Feeling unsure
Being unable to relax
Feeling restless
Being unable to focus or concentrate
Being pessimistic
Feeling tense
Avoiding situations that trigger the anxiety
Being stress sensitive
Being irritable
Always expecting the worst
Feeling afraid, as if something terrible will happen
Experiencing sleeping problems (insomnia, difficulties falling asleep, waking up many times during the night)
Experiencing physical symptoms like headaches, stomach problems, rapid heartbeat, dry mouth etc.

Further reading: Overcome your gad with online therapy.

If you suffer from any of the symptoms described above, we recommend that you take this test. Evaluate the statements and select the option that you feel best reflects the way you have felt for the past two weeks. The test is, of course, anonymous and free (see our privacy policy).

This GAD test is not to be seen as a final diagnosis. If you are uncertain about your result, we suggest that you get professional help as soon as possible.

True
Partly true
Not true
1. I have experienced excessive anxiety and worry that lasts for more than six months about events and activities.
2. I struggle to control my worry.
3. I often feel restless or keyed up.
4. I often feel fatigued.
5. I find it hard to concentrate or focus.
6. I often feel agitated or unable to relax.
7. I feel anxious and often experience racing thoughts.
8. I constantly worry.
9. I only see the negative aspects in things.
10. I often feel irritable.
11. I feel like there is nothing I can do to stop the worrying, even though I know my thoughts are irrational.
12. I struggle to concentrate on the things that need to be done.
13. My sleep is often interrupted because of my worry.
14. My worry frequently causes severe distress and impairment of functions.
15. I often experience physical symptoms such as muscle tension, shakiness, headaches or stomach problems.
16. I hate uncertainty; I want to know what’s going to happen in the future.
17. I keep putting things off because I feel overwhelmed.
Generating result...