Questions On Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about everyday things that is disproportionate to the actual source of worry. This excessive worry often interferes with daily functioning, as individuals suffering GAD typically anticipate disaster, and are overly concerned about everyday matters such as health issues, money, death, family problems, friend problems, relationship problems or work difficulties.[1] They often exhibit a variety of physical symptoms, including fatigue, fidgeting, headaches, nausea, numbness in hands and feet, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, bouts of difficulty breathing, trembling, twitching, irritability,

To a normal human, one might think that they can experience anxiety any day. An example is that some people think watching someone scale a building, or someone walk on a tightrope across two high buildings gives them anxiety. Although this is somewhat true, true anxiety is completely different. Anxiety is a serious mental illness that some people unfortunately suffer from. “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the US” (“Facts & Statistics”) . People who have anxiety disorder are constantly worrying or stressful from normal everyday events. These patients have troubles operating in day to day operations, such as driving. There are different types of anxiety disorders including phobias,

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most diagnosed mental disorders today, and can often be closely linked to concurrent symptoms or disorders including physiological, behavioral, other anxiety disorders, depression and substance abuse. (Merino, Senra & Ferreiro, 2016) (Cacioppo & Fregberg, 2013, p. 688). GAD most notably produces symptoms of excessive worry and anxiety related to non-specific risks, which often leads to functional decline both socially and professionally (Roberge et al., 2015). GAD reveals instances of links to biological origins such as heredity and biochemistry, as well as, ties to an individual’s cognitive development and socioeconomic environment (Cacioppo & Fregberg, 2013).

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorder in the United States. Between 15 - 19% of the population suffers from this disorder, which impairs the quality of life and functioning (Stuart 218). What is anxiety? Abnormal Psychology describes anxiety as “an adaptive emotion that helps us plan and prepare for a possible theat.” The text book further states, “worrying about many different aspects of life becomes chronic, excessive, and unreasonable.” This is also known as generalized anxiety disorder or GAD (Butcher 201). DSM IV-TR specifies that GAD is a worry that occurs more days then not for at least 6 months, and that it must be experienced as difficult to control (Butcher 201). 25% of those that suffer from this

Even though there are no specific statistics showing geographically how many people in each country are affected, it is estimated that “5% - 6% of teens ages 13-18 are affected by this troubling disorder, not including the teens that receive no treatment,” (“Generalized”). Youth that receive no treatment could be considered are under privileged. Meaning that they do not have the resources or are very limited to resources that could help them get the proper treatment for their disorder. Many of those adolescents are children that come from low income families, single family homes, or foster care to name a few. Foster care children however, “Find themselves in a system that is ill-equipped to provide the services they need, and that can further impede their progress towards emotional well-being,” States Lisette Austin, author of “UNLOCKING: Mental Health Services for Youth in Care.” “According to the World Health Organization, nearly 20% of children and adolescents worldwide suffer from some type of emotional or behavioral problem. . .” (“Austin”) (“Mental”). “U.S. Surgeon General reports that roughly 1 in 10 American children experience a mental illness severe enough to cause significant impairment,” (“Austin”) (“Mental”). In her article she also states from another source, Steve Hornberger, Director of Behavioral Health for CWLA, “That anywhere ranging from 40% to 85% of kids in foster care have mental health disorders, depending on what reports you read,” (“Austin”)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder affects millions of Americans each year. Typically, those who struggle with anxiety on such a regular basis struggle with fatigue and poor concentration. Although the effects of anxiety are easier to define, the causes, unfortunately, are not. Often, figuring out the exact causes for anxiety proves difficult, as it varies from person to person. There are, however, some major commonalities between individuals with anxiety, such as workload, social situations, or other disorders. In today’s hectic society, people’s schedules are busier than ever. Adults are expected to balance multiple areas of their lives, including work, school, and family. If an individual becomes sick, he or she may fall behind in one area, which

About three percent of men and women in the U.S. suffer from Generalized anxiety disorder (APAA). It is one of the most common forms of anxiety and seems to be the most left untreated because people don’t know that it can be treated. GAD, although it affects many, is a disorder that can be detrimental to the quality of life of an individual. With the regard to the quality of life, the level of severity that a person experiences is a great factor in determining more information. The accumulated information is a defining feature in figuring the dissimilarity of the normal fight or flight response and the diagnoses of GAD. The disorder itself is that of excessive worry (AnxietyBC) about everyday things like, financial situations, school, family, or health (APAA). Having three or more symptoms such as nausea, shaking, sweating, hot flashes, headaches, and many others, is what contributes to the diagnosis (Patel).

Evaluation for an anxiety disorder often begins with a visit to a primary care provider. Some physical health conditions, such as an overactive thyroid or low blood sugar, as well as taking certain medications, can imitate or worsen an anxiety disorder. A thorough mental health evaluation is also helpful, because anxiety disorders often co-exist with other related conditions, such as depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Given the prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and associated impairments as well as the significant burden imposed on health care resources, accurate assessment of anxiety is needed. Evaluating GAD and its severity by mental health and primary care clinicians is an increasingly important goal. Reliable

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is an ailment that affects relatively 5% of the general population (Neurobiology and Genetics, 2011). GAD is a mental illness that can be difficult to understand or to describe. It is also very hard to diagnose because most people who are experiencing it believe that it is normal to worry about issues at that level. People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder have extreme fear and concern about even the littlest issues in their lives. They believe that something will always go wrong (NIH). There are times when these fears can keep these people from completing every day activities. There are also many symptoms that come along with this disorder. For instance, people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder have problems sleeping, headaches, fatigue, trembling, lightheadedness, and many other problems (NIH). GAD can make a big impact on a person’s life so it is important for them to get all the information they can about it in order to improve their quality

Although the treatment of choice for Generalized Anxiety Disorder is Cognitive Therapy Disorder, medications administration is often accompanied. Medications can consist of Anti-depressants, buspirone, benzodiazepines or other medications such as pregabalin, opipramol, and hydroxyzine which are not well studied. The first line medications in treatment are Anti-depressants or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). Which are one of the safest among the prescribed medications for generalized anxiety disorder. Benzodiazepines are often prescribed with the antidepressant because of the length of time it takes for the antidepressant to take effect (mayoclinic, 2017). Side effects

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) can be identified as the condition that demonstrates "persistent, high levels of anxiety and excessive worry" about one's daily life. These anxious feelings tend to reveal physical symptoms that can interfere with the patient's optimal functioning since they are constantly feeling restless or tense. According to the DSM-5, in order to properly diagnosis a patient with GAD, the patient must demonstrate the symptoms "majority of days for at least six months" and experience "significant distress or impairment in life activities." GAD is developed during one's childhood and adolescent year, gradually becoming more apparent as they mature. In the United States, GAD affects approximately 1.2 percent to 2.9 percent

Anxiety disorders are the most common disorder in the united states. There are six different types of anxiety disorders. There is generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety attack(panic disorder), obsessive compulsive disorder, phobia disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is diagnosed when a person stresses or worries excessively about their everyday problems for 6 months or more. This excessive worrying can cause many concerning physical symptoms. GAD affects about 40 million adults in America. GAD effects twice as many women as it does men. The disorder typically develops gradually, and can begin stage of life. The years of highest risk for GAD development, however, are between childhood and middle aged adults. Although experts are still studying about what causes GAD , and how to cure it, there are several treatments and therapies out there for GAD sufferers. GAD often coincides with other disorders, such as PTSD and depression. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a growing problem in the United States, and it is our responsibility to be aware of what it is, and in pursuit of a solution.

Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive anxiety and a feeling of being out of control. In addition, individuals with this disorder often experience a lack of concentration, disturbances in sleep, restlessness, and irritability. This disorder differs from panic attacks in that the anxiety is future based, instead of present based. Due to this difference individuals with generalized anxiety disorder, have anxiety about a situation in which they are not currently in, while people who experience panic attacks initially react to a perceived threat in the environment. Also, generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks or panic disorder are associated with dissimilar physiological reactions. With panic disorder, there is arousal of the sympathetic nervous system, which results in symptoms such as increased heart rate, trembling and sweating. Physical symptoms of part of generalized anxiety disorder include muscle tension, fatigue, irritability, and difficulty sleeping. For generalized anxiety disorder, there is are biological and psychological vulnerabilities, this is true of panic disorder as well, however there is also learned component; this difference is found in specific phobias in that it often results from learned experiences. In comparison with specific phobias, generalized anxiety

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a disorder in which an individual may feel persistent, excessive, and worry about everyday things that may not even happen. Individuals with this disorder may feel worry, excessive anxiety, and have thoughts of the worst even when there is no need for concern. A person experiencing GAD may expect a disaster. They may worry about their finances, money, health, family, work, or any issue that may come to mind. This disorder may be present when a person worrying increases on more days than one for at least six months. GAD can interfere with work, school, family, and even social activities. GAD can be diagnosed in adults when they experience at least three of the symptoms. These symptoms include restlessness or feeling on the edge, fatigue, difficulty focusing or mind going blank, irritability, muscle tension, pain in back or headaches, and sleep disturbance (ADAA, n.d.).