Overview
Imagine always feeling like something bad was lurking around the next corner waiting to sabotage you. It would be extremely stressful and possibly debilitating, keeping you from enjoying time with family, friends, or just living a normal life. Those with Generalized Anxiety Disorder have a mantra that plays in their head that constantly asks, “What if?” Being invited to a party leads to anxiety instead of joy because you are wondering; what if I show up and I am dressed improperly, what if I say something dumb and everyone laughs at me, what if I spill a drink on the boy I like and he hates me forever.
Someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder often is looking into the future for all the bad things that can happen until in their mind it becomes a real fear that keeps them from participating in many activities or makes participation difficult. It is not simply getting the jitters before embarking on a new situation but an abnormal feeling of anxiety, even in familiar situations, that is always present. It hinders people from successful relationships, learning and experiencing new things, as well as being able to do simple tasks like, for example, shopping. In children this disorder is called Overanxious Disorder with the same symptoms but the diagnosis is made with less strict criteria.
Symptoms
Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder consist of a feeling of worry or apprehensiveness occurring on most days of the week with a lack of control over those feelings. Someone dealing with this disorder will not have a focus on one fear but will have a general sense of worry about life. This can include social anxiety, fears of being in public places, separation anxiety, fear of gaining weight, or other general or irrational fears. A few general symptoms related to this disorder is feeling restless or on edge, feeling tired often, lack of concentration or the mind going blank, being easily irritated, tightness of muscles from stress, and difficulties falling or staying asleep. As a child, only one of these symptoms is required for a diagnosis along with the major symptoms associated with this disorder. In adults, though, a person must be experiencing at least three of these general symptoms to qualify for a diagnosis. Overall, a person with Generalized Anxiety Disorder will experience increased distress which will impair functioning at school, home, or with peers. Often physical symptoms are present with the anxiety that may include loss of appetite, gastrointestinal upset, racing heart beat, increased blood pressure, headaches, or severe fatigue.
Diagnosis
Treatment
Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder can be short term forms of therapy, medication, and long term support from caretakers. Short term counseling usually consists of cognitive behavioral therapy which will help change the negative and worrisome thoughts that produce anxiety and replace them with more rational thoughts and relaxation techniques. A form of therapy called Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming is a new technique that has shown positive results in retraining a person to relax in stressful situations and feel a sense of control over their thoughts and emotions. Both treatments can be done with adults and children. It is important to ask a therapist if they are trained in this technique prior to beginning therapy. The use of medication for short term relaxation is sometimes preferred by a client that becomes so debilitated by anxiety that normal functioning is impaired. Often some antidepressants are used or a prescription that can help relax the stress signals being sent from the brain. This is a very common disorder and can be easily treated but left untreated can become worse and increase the chance that the client will develop a compulsive disorder or depression.
