Tanya, it's good that you are questioning what is happening.
I have had anxiety problems since childhood, long before I knew it had a name. I had my first panic attack when I sat down to write an exam at university and I just about lost it. I think part of the reason I began drinking was to cope with anxiety/depression. Of course, it made those things much worse.
I still have anxiety problems and I still sometimes have panic attacks. Once in a while, I think of asking the dr for something and I brought it up with her recently. I am very reluctant to start taking medication for it. I have seen so many people here get stuck on ativan and xanax and I have a huge fear of that. So, I am dealing with my insomnia and chronic pain, both of which were increasing my anxiety, with the hope that it will have an effect on the generalized anxiety. I would love for there to be a safe, simple way to get rid of the anxiety, but there isn't. What I have done is to read a lot of information and there are ways to deal with anxiety. There are a lot of really good books on the subject. Breathing techniques really work for me, staying focused, understanding the biology of what is happening, yoga, exercise - all those things help me.