10% of Mac students suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), which causes chronic, excessive and unreasonable worries. People with GAD worry constantly about things they can't control like their future, family, finances or health. Their worries are disproportionate to actual threats and concern things that shouldn't worry them. In addition to worrying, GAD causes physical symptoms like restlessness, fatigue, irritability, muscle tension and sleep disturbances. Students experiencing chronic, excessive and unreasonable anxiety along with three other symptoms for several months should see a counselor at the Student Wellness Centre, who can help manage anxieties through mindfulness and reinterpreting worries in a more rational way. Counselors may also refer students to psychiatrists who

1. 10% of Mac studentssufferfromGeneralizedAnxietyDisorder(orGAD forshort).People withGAD
tendto be very…well, anxious. Everyonefeelsanxiousfromtime totime,some more thanothers,but
the anxietiesassociatedwithGADare chronic,excessive,andunreasonable.
“Chronic” meansconstant,withnosignof lettingup.PeoplewithGADspend mostof theirdays
worryingaboutthingsthey can’t control, like theirfutures,theirfamilies,theirfinancial situations,or
theirpersonal health.
“Excessive”meansdisproportionate,over-the-top. Thingsthatwouldn’tconcernmost people,like an
arm cramp or hearingyourname calledoveraloudspeaker, couldbe portentsofdisasterto someone
withGAD.
“Unreasonable”meansunwarrantedorunnecessary.PeoplewithGADtendtoworry aboutthingsthat,
by all rights, shouldn’tconcernthem. For example,if astraight-A studentconstantlyworriesabout
gettingbadgrades,or if someone whoexercisesregularlyisafraidthey’re goingtohave aheart attack,
it couldbe a signof GAD.
All thisworryingputs a tremendousamount of stressonthe mindand body.Restlessness,fatigue,
irritability,muscle tension, sleepdisturbance,aninabilityto concentrate… all of these thingsare
frequently associatedwithGeneralizedAnxietyDisorder.
So,if,for the past several months,you’veexperienced chronic,excessive,andunreasonable anxiety,
coupledwith at leastthree of the aforementionedsix symptoms,youshouldconsiderbookingan
appointmentatthe McMaster StudentWellnessCentre,where one of ourcouncillorscan walkyou
througha seriesof techniques tohelpyou bettermanage youranxieties.
Most of the techniques usedtotreatGADinvolve beingmindful of yourfeelingsand reinterpreting
whatevercausesthem. Forexample,youmaybe toldto askyourself nexttime youfeelanxious,“Why
do I feel thisway?Whatisit aboutthissituationthatworriesme? How likelyisit,really, thatsomething
bad will happen,all thingsconsidered?DidIreallyfail thattest, oris itmore likelythatIgotan average
grade?”
Your councillormayalsoreferyouto a psychiatrist,who will likely prescribe one of several common
antidepressants,because antidepressantsare reallygoodattreatinganxiety forsome reason.
For more information,feel freetocontactthe SWCat wellness@mcmaster.ca.Andremember, your
grey matters. The StudentWellnessCentre iswithyou.