Generalized
anxiety disorder (GAD) is severe, ongoing anxiety, and excessive fear about
everyday situations that interfere with daily activities.
Symptoms of
a generalized anxiety disorder include difficulty sleeping, muscle tension,
difficulty concentrating, irritability, sweaty palms, rapid heartbeat, shaking,
repeated stomachaches or diarrhea, fatigue, and exhaustion.
Causes of
GAD may include a family history of anxiety, childhood abuse, recent or
prolonged exposure to stressful situations, excessive use of caffeine or
tobacco, etc.
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| Symptoms and causes of generalized anxiety disorder |
Generalized Anxiety
Disorder (GAD) -Symptoms, Causes, and Complications - Self Help Tips for GAD
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
is severe, persistent anxiety and excessive worry about everyday life events
that interfere with daily functioning.
Anxiety usually comes as a reaction
to physical stress (such as being hit by a car) or stress (such as threatening
your boss to lower your salary).
For some people, they feel anxious
for no particular reason.
If you continue to feel
uncomfortable for at least one month and you are so worried that you are afraid
all the time that something terrible is going on, without any other
psychological symptoms, your problem may be generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
When you face a dangerous or
stressful situation, this stimulates your body to take action by reacting to
the fight or escape.
The heart beats faster, sends more
blood to the muscles, the breathing becomes heavier, and the muscles tense in
preparation for movement.
The defensive system brings the body
the necessary energy and strength to match the situations that threaten it.
With general concern, the same physical and emotional mechanisms occur, even if
there is no physical threat that we need to interact with.
Quick
Facts on Generalized Anxiety Disorder
⇒It is normal to be concerned with
stress and anxiety disorders from time to time. But the constant stress and
anxiety that hinders you from exercising your daily life may indicate a
generalized anxiety disorder.
⇒People with chronic mental illnesses
have a greater risk of GAD.
⇒A generalized anxiety disorder
may affect people of all ages.
⇒Generalized anxiety disorder
symptoms are similar to panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other
forms of anxiety disorder.
⇒Living with this disease for a long
time maybe something of a challenge.
⇒It may be accompanied by other
psychological disorders.
⇒Symptoms may improve with medication
and psychotherapy.
⇒Changing lifestyle, learning
endurance skills and coping with illness and using relaxation techniques may
help reduce the effects of GAD.
How does Generalized Anxiety Disorder Affect Your
Daily Life?
It is common for you to suffer from
psychological problems and other physical pains at the same time; you may
suffer, for example, compulsive thoughts, eating disorder, depression or
persistent pain in the stomach, back or shoulders.
You may feel dizzy and disoriented,
and it is easy to cry quickly.
When you have a generalized anxiety
disorder, you feel as if your disaster monitor is in a constant state of
stimulation.
You feel like you do not take a
break from anxiety at all, and do not enjoy absolute safety most of the time.
Once you have a disturbing mind, you
need to be immediately clear. You may feel that you should avoid all the
emotional stress, and you may find it difficult to live the moment.
If you have GAD, you may find it
difficult to sleep, be sensitive to stress, detachment, and potentially lose
control.
You may be concerned about
everything from disasters near you to the global situation.
You feel that almost everything is a
threat, and you may feel in dire need of safety. This constant alertness of
anxiety may cause fatigue or depression syndrome.
The more you worry, the more space
you have in the end to live your life as you wish.
Symptoms
of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
The most common symptoms of
generalized anxiety disorder may include:
⇒Panic or constant anxiety about a
number of areas that is disproportionate to the impact of events
⇒Hyper-thinking plans and solutions
have all the predictable consequences
⇒Considering situations and events as
a threat, even if they are not true
⇒Difficulty dealing with doubt
⇒The low frequency of mind and fear
of making the wrong decisions
⇒The inability to distract your fears
or give up your concern
⇒The inability to relax, feeling
restless or feeling nervous
⇒Difficulty concentrating or feeling
like your mind is empty
Physical signs and symptoms include:
- Fatigue and Irritability
- Difficulty sleeping
- Muscle tension or muscle aches
- Trembling, feeling drowsy
- Neurosis or sweating
- Nausea, diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome
Sometimes your anxiety may not
bother you completely, but you may still worry for no apparent reason.
For example, you may be concerned
about your safety or the safety of your loved ones or you may have a general
feeling that something bad is about to happen.
Your anxiety, panic, or physical
symptoms may cause you to distress in social, practical or other areas of your
life.
Concerns can turn from worry and can
change over time and age.
Causes
of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
There is no specific reason for
generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
With many mental health conditions,
the cause of generalized anxiety disorder probably arises from a complex
interaction with a number of biological and environmental factors, which may
include:
- Differences in brain chemistry and function
- Inequalities in means of considering threats
- Growth and personality
Risk Factors
There are many factors that make one
person or another more susceptible to psychological anxiety disorders than
others. The following factors may increase the risk of a generalized anxiety
disorder (GAD):
Personality
Factors: A person with a shy or
negative temperament or who avoids doing anything dangerous may be more likely
to develop a generalized anxiety disorder than others.
Stressful
events in susceptible people: The
initial appearance of a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) often adheres to a
highly stressful event, such as being a victim of a crime, loss of an important
relationship, loss of a loved one, and loss of a job.
Depression: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) has a very strong
connection with depression, especially chronic mild depression or major
depression.
Adolescents with depression are
particularly at high risk of developing a generalized anxiety disorder in
adulthood.
Sex: Women are diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder somewhat more
than men.
Reasons for this include cultural
expectations, hormonal factors, and more willingness and desire to go to
the doctor and talk about their concerns.
Genetic
factors: Generalized
anxiety disorder may be inherited among family members. Approximately
one-fourth of the first-degree relatives can be affected by this problem.
Family
history: Anxiety
disorders are somewhat related to family history.
This can be due to family dynamics,
such as overprotective behaviors, the history of violence, and abuse in the
family and the failure to learn effective coping skills.
History of
self-harm: People with a generalized
anxiety disorder may have a history of major life changes or negative or
painful experiences during childhood or may have experienced a recent painful
or negative event.
Chronic health or other mental
health disorders may increase risks.
Cultural
factors: Since the 1950s there has been
a significant increase in the rate of anxiety disorders among children and
adolescents.
Studies have suggested that anxiety
is somewhat related to the lack of social relations and a feeling of increased
environmental risk and cultural threat.
Socioeconomic
and ethnic factors: The members of
poor minorities, especially the immigrants, are more at risk for developing
generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
This can be due to the feelings of
inferiority, separation, the problems of adjusting a new culture, and loss
of strong family relationships.
Substance
abuse: Smoking, alcohol consumption,
and drug misuse may increase the risk of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Complications
of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
A generalized anxiety disorder may
cause disability and it can:
⇒Hinder your ability to perform tasks
quickly and efficiently because of the difficulty you find in concentration
⇒Take excess time and focus from
other activities
⇒Relieve your energy
⇒Increases your risk of depression
Generalized anxiety disorder can
also cause or worsen other physical conditions, such as:
→Digestive or bowel problems, such
as irritable bowel syndrome or ulcers
→Headaches and migraines
→Chronic pain and disease
→Sleep problems and insomnia
→Heart health problems
Often, generalized anxiety disorder
and other mental health problems can make diagnosis and treatment difficult
task. Some mental health disorders that commonly occur with a generalized
anxiety disorder include:
- Various types of phobia
- Panic disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Depression
- Suicide or suicidal thoughts
- Substance abuse
When should you ask for help?
If you become more anxious and get
stuck in your daily life and restrict your life, you should ask for help, and
you should ask for help when you treat yourself with alcohol or sedatives so
you can deal with everyday situations.
If you are experiencing this situation, please feel free to ask for help.
There are many things you can do to
improve your condition, and the first step is to ask for care.
What help can you receive?
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
can be improved by treatment.
There are many different treatments,
such as speech therapy and pharmacotherapy. This treatment is based on the fact
that you learn to deal with anxiety so that it does not affect or limit your
life.
If you had previously asked for care
in vain, do not give up and ask for help again.
Research has shown that the form of
therapy is not decisive in its usefulness; it is the method that one has to
deal with is critical.
Self
Help Tips for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
There is no way to predict with
certainty what makes anyone infected with generalized anxiety disorder, but you
can take steps to reduce the effect of symptoms if you are concerned:
Ask for help
early: With many other
mental health conditions, anxiety may be difficult to treat whenever we are
late in treatment.
Keep a note: Tracking your personal life can help you and your mental
health professional identify the causes of stress and things that seem to
improve your condition.
Describe the
problems you face in your life according to their priority: You can reduce anxiety by managing your time and energy
carefully.
Avoid using
unhealthy substances: Alcohol
consumption, drug use, even nicotine or caffeine can cause or exacerbate
anxiety.
If you are addicted to any of these
substances, this may cause anxiety.
If you cannot live better with your
situations, visit your doctor immediately or find a treatment program or
support group to help you.