Which disorder is characterized by excessive worry about various aspects of life?

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry about multiple aspects of daily life, including but not limited to health, work, and social interactions. Individuals with GAD often find it difficult to control their anxiety and may anticipate disaster, leading to significant distress and impairment in functioning. This disorder can manifest physically through symptoms such as restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances, highlighting its pervasive impact on a person’s life.

While panic disorder involves sudden and intense episodes of fear or discomfort, phobias are marked by irrational fears of specific objects or situations, and social anxiety disorder primarily revolves around a fear of social interactions or performance situations, none of these capture the broad and chronic nature of worry seen in GAD. This distinguishing characteristic of excessive worry across various life domains is what makes Generalized Anxiety Disorder the correct answer to the question.