Anxiety is a general feeling of being worried.
Everyone experiences anxiery from time to time as a result of life experiences, but those with generalized anxiety disorder feel anxious frequently or excessively, not necessarily as a result of a particular situation. If you have generalized anxiety you would experience these symptoms often and not as an effect of a situation. Anxiety can result from many specific causes, such as an underlying medical condition or drugs you are taking. However, there may be no specific cause. Factors such as genetics and early life experiences may play a role.