The Anxiety of Everyday Life
Many people I know claim that life stresses them out, and for
all I know, they're probably telling the truth. Some, however,
often say they feel anxiety over the major issues in their
lives. When I hear this, I can't help but smile. You see, I
suffered from generalized anxiety disorder for most of my life.
While they may experience brief episodes of worry over life
altering events that anyone would worry about, I would often
find myself anxiously worried about everything. From the mundane
and miniscule to the full scale and future altering, if it
existed...I was anxious about it. If being anxious were a career
choice, I would have been a high PhD toting, high powered
executive.
The biggest difference between those who suffer from generalized
anxiety disorder and the population at large is the limited
amount of control sufferers have over their thought processes. I
used to worry uncontrollably about things over which I had
little if any control. In fact, I often worried excessively
about things that had no choice but to resolve themselves. My
anxiety caused me to spend a great deal of time focusing on
things that didn't merit the degree of concern I imparted them.
Additionally, all the anxiety I felt over these everyday events
wore on me, both mentally and physically.
Generalized anxiety disorder can be difficult to diagnose. I was
lucky enough to have a physician who recognized some of the
symptoms based on our conversations and recommended me to a
specialist. Now that I've been diagnosed, I have successfully
controlled my anxiety through behavior therapy, medication and
relaxation techniques.
If you or someone you know feels overly anxious about the
everyday events that all people experience, I encourage you to
get more information on anxiety disorders. There are several
excellent free resources on the web where you can view the
symptoms of anxiety disorders to help determine if you may be
suffering from anxiety. Always consult your physician regarding
your medical concerns and remember, help is available.