GAD is characterised by worry – usually about one separate thing after another (a worry cycle). Worry can significantly impact on the quality of our lives and can result in depression. Causes tend to be linked to a feeling of vulnerability in childhood – perhaps parents were heavy drinkers or children suffered a form of emotional, physical or sexual abuse, or had to become carers at a very young age. There are many possible underlying causes and the cause may not seem apparent to you at first. An individualised assessment of each BCTC client, known as a case formulation, is undertaken in order to pinpoint the underlying reasons. We then use a type of therapy known as meta cognitive therapy – empirically demonstrated to be increasingly successful.
