Answer: "Generalized Anxiety Disorder", or GAD is the name given to anxiety that is exaggerated, unreasonable, or even unreal, to the extent that it interferes with your life. As many as 2% to 5% of people in the US may suffer from GAD, and it rivals depression in its impact on day-to-day living.

Clinicians from Columbia University, Indiana University, and the University of Heidelberg have developed a short, simple scale for GAD. It's published in the Archives of Internal Medicine; here's a summary:

Rate each of the symptoms below as to how often you were bothered by each symptom during the previous 2 weeks: "not at all", "several days", "more than half the days", or "nearly every day";

• Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge.
  
  
• Not being able to stop or control worrying.
  
  
• Worrying too much about different things.
  
  
• Trouble relaxing.
  
  
• Being so restless that it's hard to sit still.
  
  
• Becoming easily annoyed or irritable.
  
• Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen.

For each symptom, add count your score as follows: "not at all"=0, "several days"=1, "more than half the days"=2, or "nearly every day"=3.

A total score of 10 or more may indicate GAD or possibly another disorder. Many factors can impact your level of anxiety. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, you should contact a licensed mental health clinician and be evaluated.