Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) affects approximately 6.8 million American adults and is the most common anxiety disorder in primary care settings. It is characterised by excessive, difficult-to-control worry about a range of everyday concerns — health, finances, work, family — associated with physical symptoms including muscle tension, fatigue, and sleep disturbance. Effective treatments include SSRIs and SNRIs as first-line pharmacotherapy, buspirone, and evidence-based psychotherapies especially CBT and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Benzodiazepines, while acutely effective, are not recommended for long-term management due to tolerance, dependence, and cognitive side effects.
