How is one diagnosed with GAD?
Mental health professionals use criteria set forth in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV; APA 1994.) The key feature of GAD is defined as excessive and pervasive worry about several life circumstances. Life circumstances can be relationships with family and friends, health and well-being of oneself or one”s family, home management and work responsibilities, finances, self-worth, and so on. Typically, the worry is focused on striving for perfection, avoiding making mistakes, a strong sense of responsibility, and attempts to maintain guardedness and control as a means of being prepared for and preventing bad things from happening. According to the DSM-IV, this type of worry must persist for at least 6 months, and must not be the direct cause of a real-life trauma.
