What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
Generalized anxiety disorder affects around 3% to 4% of the
population. It keeps you in a worried state and makes a persons
depressed about life. It does not stop a person from living
their lives normally, or is it a panic attack. It affects they
way you think. It stops a person from deciding on things and
thus making them depressed.
It makes the person believe that they have no interest in life.
There are no real triggers for generalized anxiety disorder.
Sometimes it can affect a person without them knowing. For
example, you are waiting for a loved one and they are late. You
start to think about the "what if' they had an accident, what if
something bad has happened to them? The feeling of worry and
anxiety will start to creep into their head and the cycle
repeats itself in a variety of situation.
Some people will experience this problem in their everyday lives
and it could prevent them from relaxing, being calm and enjoy
time alone.
Generalized Anxiety disorder (GAD) can take up to 6 months or
more of severe anxiety to take affect. People who experience GAD
usually expect the worse case scenario. It prevents them from
relaxing and can cause insomnia, fatigue, headaches,
irritability and trembling.
GAD affects approximately 2.8% of all Americans (4 million
people) each year and often hits people in their childhood,
adolescence and even in adult hood. It affects women more than
men.
GAD is just one of the six different anxiety disorders and can
be categorized in the following groups. 1. Generalized Anxiety
Disorder 2. Panic Disorder 3. Social Anxiety Disorder 4. Post
Traumatic Anxiety Disorder 5. Obsessive Anxiety Disorder 6.
Phobia Related Anxiety Disorder
GAD along with the other 5 disorders is treatable and should be
looked at by a professional therapist as soon as possible. There
are two main types of recommended therapy, cognitive and
behavioural therapy. Many patience usually find it easier to
copy with disorders when they receive treatment.
Cognitive therapy is focused on changing ones mental state by
helping the brain relearn its thinking process. It can help with
long term treatment because changing the way a person thinks can
affect their out come tremendously for example helping them cope
with anxiety and realising that all their problems can be solved.
Behavioural therapy is a more in your face type of treatment. It
involves confrontation a persons fears. The purpose to this is
to help a person talk about their problems until desensitize
from the fear or anxiety by describing in detail how they feel.