14th June 2021

A 42-year-old woman attends a GP appointment

A 42-year-old woman attends a GP appointment. For the past year, she has been suffering from feelings of anxiety and agitation. She describes that she constantly feels worried “for no good reason” to the point where she becomes completely overwhelmed – and that this happens at home, work, or even when driving her car, with little warning. When she is feeling like this, she can also feel nauseous, short of breath, and shaky – and afterwards, she finds that her mind will “race the rest of the day” with stresses about her family or work. Her family have noticed she seems more distracted than normal, and not her “normal cheery self”. The GP suspects she is suffering from generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).

Which THREE of the following features would suggest a diagnosis of GAD as opposed to other anxiety disorders?  Select THREE options only.