GAD or not?

I've had the following symptoms for quite a while and after reading the stickies I believe I have GAD. My doctor says I have anxiety but didn't specifically call it GAD.

Extremely irritable
Procrastination
Waking up with rapid heart beat
Trouble going to sleep
Mind racing
Forgetfulness
Periods of hyperactive work often overcompensating followed by periods of blankness and not being able to start
Excessive worry about things I can't control
Cold feet/hands
Mind going blank
Slow disoriented speech
Frequently sigh
Chest pains
Nervous and tremble when speaking
Worry about family/friends dying
Guilt
Lack of self confidence
Assuming the worst



My doctor has diagnosed me with anxiety, that was all I was told so I'm not looking for a diagnosis, just some discussion.

I'm on Gabapentin and Lithium which have helped some.

Thanks

GAD is pretty common for anxiety disorders... it ranges from pretty minimal to severe... and your symptoms do sound like it... is your doctor trying to rule anything else out ?

It may be too soon for him to rule anything else out. Not really sure since I've only seen him three times. I'll have more focused questions and comments this time so maybe he can get a better picture of what my symptoms are and get me to a behavioral therapist.

My physical symptoms improved with the meds but the psychological symptoms are still strong.

Where do I need to post questions if my GAD coexists with other disorders?

I've been diagnosed with GAD and from what I've read and been told, it often coexists with some form of depression and/or OCD.

Pretty much everything you listed I experience myself. If you don't have a specific thing that causes your anxiety (like a fear, or a specific trigger), i.e. you are anxious for no real reason, then it's probably GAD.

vbhacker wrote:Where do I need to post questions if my GAD coexists with other disorders?

Most of the time it does, I have also along with GAD, PTSD, and clincal/seasonal depression.

Post where-ever you feel the most comfortable.

Fndr70 wrote:I've been diagnosed with GAD and from what I've read and been told, it often coexists with some form of depression and/or OCD.

Pretty much everything you listed I experience myself. If you don't have a specific thing that causes your anxiety (like a fear, or a specific trigger), i.e. you are anxious for no real reason, then it's probably GAD.

You hit the nail on the head. There is no real reason for the anxiety. A lot of it has to do with paranoia, controls issues (could that be considered OCD?) and depression. For a while I hadn't felt any real depression but it came back to bite me.

Butterfly Faerie wrote:

vbhacker wrote:Where do I need to post questions if my GAD coexists with other disorders?

Most of the time it does, I have also along with GAD, PTSD, and clincal/seasonal depression.

Post where-ever you feel the most comfortable.

Thanks for sharing.
It's strange how very different things can exist together.

I got a slap on the hand in one of the other forums so I was a little cautious before posting.

vbhacker wrote:

Butterfly Faerie wrote:

vbhacker wrote:Where do I need to post questions if my GAD coexists with other disorders?

Most of the time it does, I have also along with GAD, PTSD, and clincal/seasonal depression.

Post where-ever you feel the most comfortable.

Thanks for sharing.
It's strange how very different things can exist together.

I got a slap on the hand in one of the other forums so I was a little cautious before posting.

What was that for to say that you wanted to post questions about GAD coexisting with other disorders?

Butterfly Faerie wrote:

vbhacker wrote:

Butterfly Faerie wrote:

vbhacker wrote:Where do I need to post questions if my GAD coexists with other disorders?

Most of the time it does, I have also along with GAD, PTSD, and clincal/seasonal depression.

Post where-ever you feel the most comfortable.

Thanks for sharing.
It's strange how very different things can exist together.

I got a slap on the hand in one of the other forums so I was a little cautious before posting.

What was that for to say that you wanted to post questions about GAD coexisting with other disorders?

Yes. The part where you said to post wherever I feel most comfortable and I replied that I was being cautious because I got a slap on the hand in another forum.

I posted in the Personality Disorder NOS Forum about a mixed set of symptoms of personality disorders and go yelled at to go read the sticky even though I had already gotten pretty familiar with the stickies.