General Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

We all get worried once in a while, but if we have generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), worries and fears become so regular that they interfere with our ability to function and relax. We may worry greatly about things that are improbable to happen, or feel tense and nervous all day long without any real reason. This anxiety takes a physical toll, too. Body aches, lack of sleep, and exhaustion are most common symptoms. The good news is that generalized anxiety disorder is curable. Many things can help, including self-help strategies and therapy.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) involves anxiety and worry that is extreme and unrelenting. This high-level anxiety makes normal life complicated and relaxation impossible. If we suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) we may worry about the same things that other people do: health issues, money, family problems, or difficulties at work, but we take these worries to a new level. It is an extreme case where we worry about anything and everything under the sun and excessively.



A colleague's careless comment about the economy becomes a vision of an impending pink slip; a phone call to a friend that isn't instantly returned becomes apprehension that the relationship is in trouble. Sometimes just the thought of getting through the day produces anxiety. Whether we realize that our anxiety is more intense than the situation makes us believe that our worry is protective in some way, the end result is the same. We cannot turn off our anxious thoughts. They keep running through our head, endlessly.

Worries, doubts, and fears are a normal part of life. It's natural to be nervous about our upcoming examination or our finances after being hit by unexpected bills. The difference between “normal" worry and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is that the worrying involved in GAD is much more recurrent and troublesome. For instance, after watching a news report about a terrorist attack, the average person might feel a temporary sense of uneasiness and be bothered. A person with generalized anxiety disorder, however, might be up all night afterwards, thinking for days about a worst-case scenario in which his or her city is attacked.

Most people with GAD do not run away from workplace or social situations, but they go about their activities filled with overstated worry and tension, even though there is little or nothing to incite them. For others, the anxiety and physical symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder interfere with everyday functioning. The symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) vary. You may notice better and worse times of the day, or better and worse days in general. And while stress doesn't cause generalized anxiety disorder, it can make the symptoms worse.

Not everyone with generalized anxiety disorder has the same symptoms. But most people with GAD experience a mixture of a number of the following physical and psychological symptoms such as muscle tension, aches, or soreness trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, stomach problems, nausea and diarrhea.

Therapy is a key constituent for treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Many studies show that therapy is as effective as medication for most people. And best of all, therapy for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is side-effect free. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one type of therapy that is particularly helpful in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. It examines distortions in our ways of looking at the world and ourselves. Our therapist will help us identify automatic negative thoughts that contribute to our anxiety and will help us to overcome our fears.

• Emma Bullock
• 02/04/2009, 6:59 AM
• 0 Comments