Anxiety

It is the morning of your big presentation at work and you are very nervous. You have butterflies in your stomach and you are rehearsing your remarks in your head. However, while you are nervous now, you know yourself and you have felt this way before and by the time you get in the conference room and get started, the nervousness will abate. You might think to yourself, no big deal it will be over soon.

Imagine you are getting ready for a big first date. You are nervous as you get ready and you want everything to be perfect. As the evening goes on, you feel more comfortable and you wonder why you were even nervous or anxious in the first place.

These scenarios are pretty common for the normal person. Feelings of nervousness come and go and for the most part do not interfere too much with your activities. However, for some people, anxiety is not that easy to control and it invades everyday life inhibiting people to go about their activities.
If anxiety is affecting your everyday life, work and relationships and you find yourself avoiding situations out of fear of discomfort, it may be the indication of a real problem with anxiety. Some people think that anxiety is not a real problem, but there are defined anxiety disorders.

Generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, affects many Americans. People with GAD go through each day with elevated levels of tension but there is no evidence or substantial reasoning for the high level of tension. Those affected with GAD tend to excessively worry about work, family, finances and health issues at an unhealthy level causing interruption in their normal life.

When considering GAD as a diagnosis, doctors will consider the amount of anxiety and tension in your daily life and the amount of time you have had these feelings. They might also ask you if you have had panic or anxiety attacks. These are very common among those with GAD. In an anxiety attack, your heart beats very fast and you may not be able to catch your breath. They can be terrifying situations where you feel totally out of control. The doctor may also ask you about other physical symptoms like headaches, fatigue, muscle tension, difficulty concentrating, appetite changes, sweating and nausea. Most people with GAD realize that their intruding thoughts and constant worst-case scenarios are unlikely, but they cannot seem to shake the thoughts and let go.

With proper treatment, people with GAD can resume normal lives and function socially. Medications, like anti-depressants or SSRIs, are often recommended by doctors to treat GAD. Fortunately, the medications are effective for GAD sufferers. Other types of treatments like behavioral therapy may also be used in conjunction with medication to combat GAD.

Before treatment, many with GAD did not have anyway of coping or dealing with the anxiety. They did not know what to do about it or tried things that did not work. The behavioral therapy teaches coping mechanisms and adjusts the person’s thinking to divert the intensity of the anxiety.

GAD affects more women than men and genes are thought to play a role in the occurrence of GAD. Stress and lifestyle can also play a part in your anxiety levels. Substance abuse, anxiety and other disorders can also accompany or cause the anxiety problems. These factors will need to be considered by the doctor in order to recommend proper treatment. The disorder can occur over time and gradually intensify. The highest risk for GAD is between childhood and middle age. Luckily, with the right treatment, generalized anxiety can be treated and stop interfering with your daily life.