General Anxiety Disorder
While it is normal for people to experience some anxiety from time to time, if that anxiety is ongoing and interferes with your day to day life and ability to maintain social relationships, you may have generalized anxiety disorder. Living with this disorder is a challenge. Often it occurs with other mood or anxiety disorders, but it can be improved through treatment.
Symptoms
Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder include:
- Fatigue
- Constant worry or concern
- Restlessness
- Feeling on edge
- Trouble concentrating or a mind that is blank
- Muscle tension or muscle aches
- Feeling twitchy, easily startled, or trembling
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Irritability
- Shortness of breath
- Rapid heartbeat
There may be occasions when you are not overwhelmed with your worries, but you often still feel anxious even when there may be no obvious reason for your anxiousness. One example is that you may feel very worried about your safety or the safety of your loved ones. This disorder often begins at an early age. The signs and symptoms of the disorder may develop slowly. People who have this condition may not be able to remember a time when they felt at ease or relaxed. This condition is chronic and requires ongoing treatment. Generalized anxiety disorder often occurs with other mental health conditions, including other anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and substance abuse problems. It also occurs commonly with major depression.
Children who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder may have worries that are excessive about being on time, performance at school or sporting events, and catastrophic events. Additionally, a child with generalized anxiety disorder may also feel overly anxious to fit in, lack confidence, be a perfectionist, strive for approval, redo tasks that are not perfect on the first occasion, and require reassurance about performance. As an adult, if you feel that you are worrying too much and that it is beginning to interfere with your personal relationships, work, or other parts of your life, you feel depressed or are having trouble with drinking or drugs as a result, or you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, you need to seek treatment immediately. Unfortunately, your worries will probably not go away on their own, and commonly they get worse. It is best if you seek professional help early before your anxiety becomes more severe.
Causes
Doctors and researchers are unsure of the exact cause of generalized anxiety disorder. It may be that the disorder is caused by brain chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. It also may have several different causes, including your environment , stress, and genetics.
There are some risk factors for developing generalized anxiety disorder. The first is being a female. There are actually more than two times as many women as men who are diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. Second, if you have experienced childhood trauma or abuse, you are at higher risk of developing generalized anxiety disorder. A third risk factor is a serious illness, such as cancer. A fourth risk factor is certain personalities. Some personality disorders put you at increased risk. Genetics also play a role, as often it runs in families. Stressful life situations can also cause anxiety. Drug and alcohol abuse can worsen generalized anxiety disorder. Caffeine can also have an effect.
Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder can have a profound effect on your life. It can cause other mental and physical health conditions to worsen. Some of these other conditions can include substance abuse, depression, insomnia, digestive or bowel problems, teeth grinding, and headaches.
You may begin treatment by seeing your family doctor. You may also need to see a psychologist or psychiatrist. A psychiatrist can diagnose mental health conditions as well as provide counseling for you. When you initially go to see your doctor, make sure you are prepared. Jot down a list of your symptoms and when they occur. List any life changes that may be causing you stress recently. Tell about any other health problems you may have. This would include both physical and mental issues. Make a list of all medications that you are taking. Make sure you write down the doses of the medications, as well as any supplements you may be taking.
Most likely, your doctor will do a physical examination and interview you. Your doctor will probably want to know exactly what your symptoms are and how severe they are. The doctor will want to know if your feelings of anxiety have been continuous or occasional. He or she will want to know when the feelings began. If there are any triggers of the feelings, your doctor should be informed. Your doctor will also want to know a little family history and if others in your family suffered from mental health conditions or depression.
Your doctor may use a questionnaire to help figure out your condition. In order to be diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, you must meet the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This is used by to diagnose mental conditions. This criteria must be met:
- You have excessive anxiety and worry about a number of events or activities most days of the week for at minimum six months
- The anxiety or worry you feel causes you significant distress or interferes with your day to day living
- You have a hard time controlling your worries
- The anxiety is unrelated to other mental health conditions, such as substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, or panic attacks
- As an adult you must have three of the following, and as children, one: fatigue, restlessness, irritability, trouble concentrating, and muscle tension or sleep problems.
Generalized anxiety disorder also poses an additional challenge in regards to diagnosis because it often occurs along with other mental health problems. Some of these problems include panic disorder, phobias, substance abuse, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. Physical conditions can also cause anxiety, and these include heart disease, gastroesophageal reflux, hypothyroidism, and menopause.
There are two main treatments for generalized anxiety disorder. These treatments are psychotherapy and medications. Many people will benefit with a combination of both. It may take a little time to find a treatment that is perfect for you.
Medications:
Antidepressants are medications that are responsible for influencing the brain chemicals that are believed to play a role in anxiety disorders. Some antidepressants include Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro, Zoloft, Effexor, and Tofranil. Busiprone is an anti-anxiety medication that can be used consistently. It usually takes a few weeks to become effective. One side effect is lightheadedness after taking it. Some side effects include nausea, nervousness, insomnia, and headaches. Benzodiazepines are sedatives given for short-term relief of your anxiety symptoms. Some examples include Klonopin, Ativan, Valium, Librium, and Xanax. These can be habit forming, and they also can cause side effects, which include reduced muscle coordination, drowsiness, and difficulty with memory and balance.
Psychotherapy:
Psychotherapy is counseling, and it focuses on working out underlying life stresses and concerns and how to make changes in behavior. One type of psychotherapy is cognitive behavioral therapy, and it teaches you skills to identify negative thoughts and behaviors and replace them with more positive thoughts and behaviors. This can help you to at minimum reduce your stress and get more control over your life.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies:
Most people with generalized anxiety disorder will need some form of psychotherapy and/or medication to keep their anxiety under control. There are some other things you can do in your home life to keep your anxiety as low as possible. First, it is helpful to get daily exercise. Exercise is actually a great way to relieve your stress, improve your mood, and keep you healthy. It is a terrific idea to create a structured routine and work out most days of the week. You can start out slowly and then increase your exercise as time as time goes on. Eating a healthy diet is also important, so you should avoid processed foods, sugary foods, and fatty foods. Try to eat foods that have omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins. You should also avoid alcohol and other sedatives. These can make your anxiety worse. Relaxation techniques are also helpful, and so participating in yoga and meditation can ease your anxiety. It is also important to get enough sleep. This will help you to reduce your anxiety.
