Coping with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment and Therapy in Toronto

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

While anxiety is a normal part of life, an anxiety disorder is when individuals frequently experience intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Generalized anxiety disorder is when an individual experiences extreme worry/anxiety with little or no reason. This persistent worrying about things is out of proportion to the actual risk or problem. Fortunately, there are many effective virtual and in-person treatments and therapies in Toronto that can help children reduce their anxiety symptoms.

What are Common Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Children with generalized anxiety disorder may show the following symptoms:

• Physical symptoms:

  • Difficulty sleeping, restlessness

  • Easily tired 

  • Easily startled, nervousness

  • Upset stomach, nausea 

  • Increased heart rate, rapid breathing

• Irritability, easily upset

• Difficulty controlling the worry (i.e. use a lot of “what if” statements)

• Self-conscious, worried about meeting others’ expectations

• Set very high standards for their own performance, and highly self-critical

• Spend excessive time doing homework

• Perfectionist tendencies

• Excessive reassurance-seeking from adults and others

• Difficulty concentrating, feeling that their mind goes “blank”

How to Support Children with Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

• For schedule:

  • Have the schedule written/posted somewhere that is easily readable for the child to know what activities are planned for the day

  • Reduce the amount of options to facilitate easer decision-making

  • Provide a verbal signal before calling on the child (i.e. go in a circle to hear answers)

  • Do frequent check-ins to ensure they are understanding the material and for emotional checks

• For social skills:

  • Use role-play to teach the child problem-solving skills

• For emotional regulation:

  • Use cards with cartoon faces to teach the child how to identify and label emotions

  • Teach the child self-regulation strategies to use when they feel overwhelmed (i.e. deep breathing, counting)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Support for Families

For individuals and families in Toronto struggling with generalized anxiety disorder, there are a variety of in-person and virtual treatments that may be beneficial, including:

• Child anxiety programs and groups

• Cognitive behavioural therapy

• Social skills training

• Emotional regulation training

• Exposure therapy

• Mindfulness training

• Play therapy

• Parent anxiety programs and groups

• Online anxiety programs