Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about everyday things that is disproportionate to the actual source of worry. They often experience uncomfortable physical symptoms, including fatigue and sore muscles, and they can also have trouble sleeping and concentrating. Generalized anxiety disorder is an anxiety disorder that affects about 5% of the population.

People with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) go through the day filled with exaggerated worry and tension, even though there is little or nothing to provoke it. They anticipate disaster and are overly concerned about health issues, money, family problems, or difficulties at work. Sometimes just the thought of getting through the day produces anxiety. Generalized anxiety disorder can take up to 6 months or more of severe anxiety to take effect. People who experience GAD usually expect the worst case scenario. GAD affects approximately 2.8% of all Americans each year and often hits people in their childhood, adolescence and even in adult hood. It affects women more than men.

GAD is diagnosed when a person worries excessively about a variety of everyday problems for at least 6 months. People with GAD can’t seem to get rid of their concerns, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants. They can’t relax, startle easily, and have difficulty concentrating. Often they have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Physical symptoms that often accompany the anxiety include fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, having to go to the bathroom frequently, feeling out of breath, and hot flashes.

When their anxiety level is mild, people with GAD can function socially and hold down a job. Although they don’t avoid certain situations as a result of their disorder, people with GAD can have difficulty carrying out the simplest daily activities if their anxiety is severe.

GAD is just one of the six different anxiety disorders and can be categorized in the following groups.

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
2. Panic Disorder
3. Social Anxiety Disorder
4. Post Traumatic Anxiety Disorder
5. Obsessive Anxiety Disorder
6. Phobia Related Anxiety Disorder

The disorder develops gradually and can begin at any point in the life cycle, although the years of highest risk are between childhood and middle age. Other anxiety disorders, depression, or substance abuse often accompany GAD, which rarely occurs alone. GAD along with the other 5 disorders is treatable and should be looked at by a professional therapist as soon as possible. There are two main types of recommended therapy, cognitive and behavioral therapy. Much patience usually finds it easier to copy with disorders when they receive treatment.

» Cognitive therapy is focused on changing ones mental state by helping the brain relearn its thinking process. It can help with long term treatment because changing the way a person thinks can affect their outcome tremendously for example helping them cope with anxiety and realizing that all their problems can be solved.

» Behavioral therapy is a more in your face type of treatment. It involves confrontation a person’s fears. The purpose to this is to help a person talk about their problems until desensitize from the fear or anxiety by describing in detail how they feel.

» In most cases, generalized anxiety disorder improves with medications or psychotherapy. Making lifestyle changes, learning coping skills and using relaxation techniques also can help.

Psychotherapy normally helps a patient diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, on the one condition that he/she be an active participant to the treatment. People suffering from generalized anxiety disorder have all the chances of recovery if the right treatment or approach to the ailment is taken. However, there are cases of patients who remain trapped in the vicious circle for years on end, either because of the incorrect choice of therapy or because they cannot put into practice the techniques they learn in therapy sessions. Therefore, individual factors such as determination, self-awareness, and perseverance in finding a treatment will significantly contribute to the level of mental health.