Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Psychiatry/Behavioral · ~7% of blueprint

Pathophysiology: Dysregulated fear circuitry (amygdala/prefrontal cortex) and GABA/serotonin systems.
Signs & Symptoms: Excessive, hard-to-control worry ≥6 months + restlessness, fatigue, irritability, muscle tension, sleep disturbance.
Gold Standard Diagnosis: Clinical (DSM-5): excessive worry more days than not for ≥6 months with ≥3 somatic symptoms (GAD-7).
First-line Treatment: SSRIs/SNRIs first-line + CBT; avoid long-term benzodiazepines.

High-Yield Pearl

SSRIs/SNRIs are first-line; avoid chronic benzodiazepines (dependence) for GAD.

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