Worry Wart or Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Worrying can be something that you have done all of your life. You can probably remember times as a child when you worried about things that never crossed other childrens' mind. Now you are all grown up and you still worry but you worry about things to larger degree because you have more responsibility. You may worry about things that never have happened just because you have the fear that it may happen. Or you may ruminate about events that have happened even though the situations have been resolved. You worry about yourself and loved ones. People around you may even tell you that you worry too much and that you need to stop worrying so much. The problem is that you can't stop and it frustrates you because you know that your loved ones are right.

When does worrying too much and not being able to control the worry cross the line from just being a natural worrier to a mental disorder such as, Generalized Anxiety Disorder? Some people can worry everyday, all day but not be characterized as having an Anxiety Disorder. It may just be part of their personality and they are able to live effectively without any intervention such as counseling or medication. As long as your worrying does not interrupt your normal everyday living (such as work or school) and you are able to enjoy activities as you normally have in the past than your worrying level may be normal for you. Everyone worries and some worry more than others without signifying a problem.