Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. You might worry about things like health, money, or family problems. But people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) feel extremely worried or nervous about these and other things—even when there is little or no reason to worry. People with generalized anxiety have trouble controlling their worries or feelings of nervousness, even when they know that they worry much more than they should. As a consequence of excessive worry, they often feel restless and have a hard time concentrating and getting things done. Although they may feel easily tired or tired all the time, they may also have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Headaches, muscle aches, stomach aches, or unexplained pains are common among people suffering from generalized anxiety.
The good news is that GAD is a treatable condition with a combination of psychotherapy and possibly adjunctive medication. Adding hypnosis to a course of psychotherapy for GAD amplifies the effects of the therapeutic strategies and may shorten the duration of treatment significantly.