Existential Phenomenology of Anxiety in Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the lived experience of existential anxiety in individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) using an existential phenomenological approach. Twelve adult participants diagnosed with GAD were recruited through purposive sampling and interviewed via semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings revealed five major themes: existential helplessness, fear of the future, psychological alienation, ambiguity of life meaning, and the experience of suspension. Participants did not merely describe their anxiety as a clinical symptom but as a persistent existential condition rooted in the awareness of uncertainty and instability of being. These insights suggest a need for therapeutic interventions that target existential meaning and identity.