General Anxiety Disorder - General Anxiety Disorder Panic Attacks

Generalized anxiety disorder is basically an anxiety disorder which is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and mostly an irrational worry about everyday things which is disproportionate in comparison to the actual source of worry. The excessive worry would land up interfering with the daily functioning because individuals who are suffering from Generalized anxiety disorder would typically catastrophise, anticipate disaster and are even more concerned regarding everyday matters such as health issues, death, money, family and friend problems and even work related issues and difficulties. Often they would exhibit a variety of physical symptoms which would include fatigue, fidgeting, headaches, nausea, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty in swallowing and breathing, trembling, twitching, insomnia, sweating, irritability, rashes as well as hot flashes. These kinds of symptoms should be ongoing and persistent for at least 6 months. Only then a formal diagnosis of Generalized anxiety disorder can be introduced. Almost 6.8 million Americans or more so adults would experience Generalized anxiety disorder.

A Generalized anxiety disorder is that kind of a disorder which can be categorized by an excessive worry or even fear which could totally out of proportion in comparison to the actual stressors of one's everyday life. This kind of a worry or even fear would be accompanied with certain type of symptoms such as irritability, change in sleep -- usually insomnia -- racing thoughts or preoccupation with worry, kind of on a loop in the mind, and some physical symptoms like gastrointestinal disturbance, headaches and muscle tension or a sense of being physically keyed-up.

As per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV-Text Revision there are certain criteria's that must be met for a person to be actually diagnosed with Generalized anxiety disorder. Apprehensive expectation or an excessive anxiety as well as worry should occur more in days rather than for 6 months. The worry happening in school performance as well as certain activities leads to Generalized anxiety disorder. The worry becomes difficult to control by the person getting the Generalized anxiety disorder. The anxiety and worry can mostly be associated with three symptoms from the various other ones such as being easily tired, getting irritated very fast, tension being developed in the muscles not being able to fall asleep and developing odd hours of sleep and not being able to concentrate and unable to use the brain at the right time. The mind also can go blank all of a sudden. The symptoms may also include nausea, chronic stomach aches as well as vomiting.

The focus to which the anxiety or worry lays stress on is not just confined to an Axis I disorder such as the anxiety or worry is not about getting a panic attack or being embarrassed in public, being away from friends and relatives, of gaining weight or even having multiple complaints. The anxiety or stress does not occur during a post dramatic stress disorder. The Generalized anxiety disorder would cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. This kind of a disturbance is not caused due to the direct physiological effects of a substance such as a drug abuse or even a medication or even a general medical condition such as hyperthyroidism. It does not even occur during a mood disorder, psychotic disorder or even a pervasive developmental disorder.

• Felicia Byrnes
• 07/05/2009, 10:59 AM
• 0 Comments