Generalized anxiety
disorder (GAD) is described as a mood disorder, characterized by multiple
and/or nonspecific worries. The fear associated with GAD disturbs the sleeping, thinking and some other mental functions. Symptoms
of anxiety are even described in the word itself. The word anxiety comes from the Latin anxietas, which is translated as to choke or upset. The
symptoms include emotional or behavioral spheres as well as ways of thinking.
Anxiety can range from the constructive kind to
disorders of anxiety, when the individual suffers from a level of fear, angst,
or dread that interferes with his or her ability to function. The most common
anxiety disorders are specific phobias. Other anxiety disorders include
separation anxiety disorder (children), selective mutism, agoraphobia, social
anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. GAD is quite common. It is
the most common anxiety disorder among the most of the Earth's population. This
disorder usually starts when individuals are in their early 20s. Studies indicate that men seem to
experience different types of effects of anxiety compared to women. Men are
mostly tend to exhibit more psychological symptoms of anxiety, like tension,
irritability, and a sense of impending doom. In contrast, women are tend to
develop more physical symptoms like chest pain, palpitations, insomnia, shortness of breath, and stomach disorders. What concerns the
psychotherapy, it should be mentioned that the most common type of therapy used
to treat anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This form of therapy is
to help those with an anxiety disorder to identify and decrease the irrational
thoughts and behaviors that reinforce anxiety symptoms. Behavioral techniques
for decreasing anxiety include relaxation techniques and gradually increase
exposure to situations that may have previously precipitated anxiety in the
individual's mental life. Helping to understand and to handle with the
emotional forces, is also effective in teaching an individual with panic
disorder how to prevent an anxiety attack or to decrease or stop a panic
attack. People with an anxiety disorder may also need treatment for other
emotional problems. Depression has often been associated with anxiety, as have
alcohol and drug abuse.
Anxiety symptoms and signs
Common symptoms and signs
of anxiety disorder can include:
·
restlessness or feeling edgy,
·
becoming tired easily,
·
trouble concentrating,
·
feeling as if the mind is going "blank,"
·
irritability,
·
muscle tension,
·
sleep problems.
Anxiety, associated with
specific (specific or simple phobia) or social fears (social phobia), may also
result in avoidance of certain situations or an elevation of symptoms to the
level of panic. Worry that is associated with a traumatic event (posttraumatic
stress disorder) may also result in the following symptoms:
·
Avoidance of people, places, or situations that are reminiscent of the
traumatic event
·
Difficulties with trusting others
·
Excessive attention to staying safe or keeping loved ones safe
·
A tendency to startle easily
·
A sense of a bleak or foreshortened future.
When anxiety intensifies to the level of becoming a panic attack, signs and symptoms can
include both physical and emotional symptoms such as:
·
shortness of breath or trouble breathing;
·
sweating of the palms;
·
some
stomach upset;
·
trembling or shaking;
·
feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint;
·
de-realization or de-personalization;
·
fear of losing control or going insane;
·
numbness or tingling sensations;
·
feeling like one is choking;
·
a sense of impending doom;
·
feeling like one is dying.
