Psychotherapy for generalized anxiety disorder: don't worry, it works!

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) differs from other anxiety disorders. Patients do not fear a specific external object or situation; there is no distinct symptomatic reaction pattern; and the feared scenarios are not bizarre, improbable, or inflexible. Avoidance, although central, is less obvious and often is prominent only on the cognitive-emotional level. The key component of GAD, uncontrollable and persistent worrying, is easily confused with the lay concept of worry, and comorbid disorders often make the recognition of GAD difficult. This article discusses the challenges and the innovative, promising, and specific new developments in treating GAD.