Generalized Anxiety

Introduction

Generalized anxiety is defined as chronic disorder in which the patient worries about things which are unlikely to occur or which are unrealistic. These worries are always there in the persons mind and he cannot take it out from his mind.

The first thing one would be worried about after losing a job will be the financial condition. And is one is facing chest pain then it is obvious that health will be the main issue in the snuffer’s mind. Feeling anxious and tensed is normal if one’s sister is living in a tough neighborhood or the locality has reported a severe case of flu epidemic. But generalized anxiety is not at all related to realistic or natural worries. Generalized anxiety disorder is concerned with chronic, excessive worry concerning situations that are very rare or may never occur. Generalized anxiety disorder is likely to occur when normal levels of anxiety become severe. If the effects are preventing a person’s everyday activities and also persist over more than a few months then it should be considered that it is a severe case of generalized anxiety disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder makes ones life difficult by affecting them by increasing the level of anxiety of to a severe level. Such people are unable to control the conditions or events. Dreading the future and dwelling on what can possibly go wrong the condition of individuals suffering from this disorder is again affected. Generalized anxiety disorder affects three to four percent of the population at any given time. Women are twice as likely to be affected as compared with men.

As a research done by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), it is found that individuals suffering from generalized anxiety disorder expect that there will be some kind of disaster some time in the near future. They are also overly concerned about the health issues, money or financial issues, events related to closed ones or family members and their problems. People suffering from this disorder are generally aware of the fact that they are suffering from an illness, but somehow they manage to convince one self that this kind of behavior or thinking is actually helpful or otherwise protective. They cannot control their way of thought and simply cannot turn off the worry and distress.

Causes of Generalized Anxiety

There is no exact cause of generalized anxiety disorder. Some of the identified factors are practical, biological, environmental, psychological and cultural factors. Some of the cases have been noticed to be triggered due to traumatic events in the early stages of life. Some of the other causes include parenting style, the family environment and culture is also a factor for the initiation of generalized anxiety disorder.

Signs & Symptoms

Common signs and symptoms for GAD are:-

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Muscle tension, muscle aches
• Difficulty swallowing
• Tiredness
• Trouble falling or staying asleep
• Trembling
• Feelings of dread
• Restlessness and inability to relax
• Feeling a lump in your throat

Treatments for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

Treatments for GAD include medications and cognitive behavioral therapy

• Medication :- Common benzodiazepines include Xanax, Librium, Valium and Ativan. BuSpar, also may be used to treat chronic anxiety. BuSpar works by affecting the activity of certain neurotransmitters, including serotonin. Unlike the benzodiazepines, BuSpar does not cause sedation (sleepiness) or lead to dependency. Antidepressants, such as Paxil and Effexor, are also being used to treat GAD.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for generalized anxiety disorder can be very effective. CBT for generalized anxiety disorder involves retraining the way you think. You therapist will help you identify automatic negative thoughts that contribute to your anxiety.