I am diagnosed with GAD with health anxiety being the most prevalent occurrence of symptoms. I most likely have had it my entire life, but attempted to use alcohol to cope with it for decades. Towards the end of my drinking though, the alcohol actually made it worse as I was in a constant cycle of trying to drink it away and anxiety ridden withdraws each morning. The anxiety did get better after I was sober for a few months, but never went away totally. I also found that before I quit for good, when I quit for a short time and then drank again, it would not only reset the anxiety almost immediately, but it got worse and worse every time.
I also went through lots of testing for various perceived physical disorders that ended up all being completely absent and fueled purely by my anxiety. I was convinced I had heart issues, GI issues, brain tumors, you name it. If I read an article about someone contracting some strange disorder I though I might get it. If my eyelids fluttered I figured I must be getting Parkinson's or ALS...I could go on forever.....
The thing that started turning things around for me, besides staying sober, was seeking help via counseling and accepting my anxiety for what it is. And then formulating a plan to make living with it more bearable. I've tried a couple different meds, exercise, meditation and mindfulness, and a lot of time talking to others here. It's really a manageable condition. You've absolutely got to quit drinking for good though to give it a fair try.