Generalized anxiety disorder, often called GAD, is worry that spreads across everyday life and is hard to turn off. It is more than a stressful week. The worry may cover health, money, work, family, and small tasks, even when nothing is clearly wrong. Clinicians often look for this pattern on most days for six months or more. Dr. Ijeoma Mbionwu, DNP, PMHNP-BC, listens before any plan is discussed. GAD sits within the wider group of anxiety disorders.
Worry jumps from health to money to family. Turning it off can feel nearly impossible some days.
You may feel keyed up, as if your body cannot settle even when the day is quiet.
A crowded mind can make reading, decisions, or a simple conversation harder to finish.
Falling asleep may take longer. Worry can also wake you and leave the night broken.
Jaw, neck, and shoulders may stay tight. Headaches or stomach discomfort can come with that tension.
Small frustrations may land harder. Feeling drained can show up even after a full night in bed.
Deadlines may feel heavier when your mind keeps scanning for what could go wrong next.
You may ask for reassurance often. You may also seem distant when worry takes up the conversation.
Restless nights and constant tension can leave you tired before the day has really started.
Errands, calls, and simple plans may stall while you replay every possible outcome.
No single cause explains GAD. It may run in families, though not everyone in a family has it. Stress, trauma, and a long stretch of uncertainty can raise the chance that worry takes hold. Health conditions, some medicines, caffeine, and substance use can also affect how anxious you feel. Symptoms may ease, then grow louder during illness, exams, or conflict at home. That is why the visit looks at your history, not one week. A careful talk helps sort GAD from worry about one situation.nimh.nih+1
GAD care looks at the whole person: sleep, stress, relationships, physical health, other conditions, and goals. Your plan is personalized and evidence-based, from a board-certified PMHNP, in person in Orlando or by telehealth across Florida.
A full conversation covers worry, history, health, sleep, and how the days actually feel.
Medicine may be discussed when it fits. Side effects and how you feel are reviewed over time.
Talking through stress and daily strain may support care alongside other parts of your plan.
Later visits leave room for changes at home, work, or school, plus questions about the plan.
The visit starts with your full story: worry, sleep, health, medicines, and personal goals.
From there, you and your provider discuss options that fit your needs and daily responsibilities.
Follow-up visits leave room for questions, side effects, and changes in how the week is going.
Worried most days and ready to talk? Schedule Your Appointment or Call 407-616-1691. Visits are available in Orlando or by telehealth across Florida. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or call 911.
Getting started with StarMaris is simple. Please complete the forms below before your first appointment to help us provide timely, personalized psychiatric care. Referring providers can submit patient referrals securely online. For questions, call us at 407-616-1691.