March 17, 2009

Anxiety Disorder Generalized – Common Symptoms and Treatment Of GAD

Worrying about everyday life events is known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD. Whoever suffers from this kind of disorder will be constantly anxious or worried that something disastrous might occur. This can be quite mundane events such as having locked the door or turned the gas off or deeper concerns like the state of health, wealth or job concerns. This worry is generally unrealistic but very real to the sufferer, making their life potentially miserable at best and a constant state of fear and panic at worst. It can become so bad that the person cannot go about their daily lives without the worry and concerns dominating their life.

Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety

Anxiety interferes with the thinking process of a person. Common physical symptoms include irritability, sweating, headaches, restlessness, nausea, difficulty in concentrating, tiredness, trembling, trouble falling asleep, frequent urination and getting easily startled.

Although it is not completely clear what causes anxiety, research suggests that there are various factors that contribute to its development. These factors are altered brain chemistry, genetics and environmental stress. For instance, people with a family history of anxiety are more likely to experience anxiety related problems. GAD has been linked with abnormal levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. These are the chemical messengers passing the information between nerve cells, and when they get out of balance, the brain does not receive messages properly. This alters the brain’s reaction to certain situations, causing anxiety.

Some unpleasant experiences such as a traumatic incident like a divorce, the death of a loved one, or chronic job stress may cause anxiety. Indeed, chronic work stress is strongly related to anxiety and many other health conditions.

Treatment for Generalized Anxiety

Anxiety is treated by a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or other mental health professionals. Their expertise lies in being able to diagnose and treat any kind of mental illnesses. Anxiety treatment includes the combination of cognitive-behavioral anxiety therapy and medications. Medications help to relieve and modify the symptoms of anxiety. They are the quick fix if you like. These medicines are also called tranquillizers or anti-depressants, as they make the person relaxed and calm by reducing the physical symptoms of anxiety. They alter the brain chemistry so that anxiety is not experienced but they are a temporary solution and will stop working unless the medication is repeated.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a way to get to the root of the problem and provide a permanent fix. They help by recognizing the factors that cause the troubled feelings, and then change the thought and behavior patterns of the sufferer to deal with them. The therapy helps by having a realistic approach towards worries, and limiting the distorted thinking.

GAD cannot be prevented, but there are some things that can be done to lessen or control the symptoms. This includes reducing the consumption of caffeine containing products such as tea, coffee, chocolate and cola. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking any over the counter herbal remedies or medicines, as they may contain the chemicals that increase the anxiety symptoms. Eat a well-balanced diet, and exercise regularly. If you have suffered a disturbing or traumatic experience, talk to a counselor and seek support.

A natural cure for anxiety disorders is the Panic Away guide. It has been read and successfully used by many people with anxiety and panic attack problems. check out Panic Away now to solve your anxiety problems for good using a unique form of cognitive behavior therapy.

Filed under Anxiety by Jason

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