“My son is driving in the rain. I hope he doesn't have an accident." “I'm home alone and I hear a scratching noise. It must be a thief!” These may be the thoughts of someone suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental health condition in which a person is often worried or anxious about many things and finds it difficult to control this anxiety. It is classified as an anxiety disorder, we tend to see the world as a threatening and dangerous place, the person can prepare to. run out of home, fight off an attack, or run to the phone and ask for help. While this anxious response might be helpful if there was actually a thief, it wasn't helpful if the thinking was wrong. , n.d.) We all worry about something at some point, but people with GAD experience this symptom much more often. It is obvious that GAD sufferers always worry, even when there is little or no reason to worry. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder fall into three categories: emotional, behavioral, and physical. Emotional symptoms include: constant worries running through your head, feeling like your anxiety is uncontrollable; there's nothing you can do to stop worrying, intrusive thoughts about things that make you anxious; you try to avoid thinking about it, but can't, an inability to tolerate uncertainty; you need to know what will happen in the future and a pervasive feeling of apprehension or dread. Behavioral symptoms include: inability to relax, enjoy quiet time or be alone, difficulty concentrating or focusing on things, putting things off because you feel overwhelmed, and avoiding situations that make you anxious. Physical symptoms of GAD include: feeling tense, muscle stiffness or muscle aches, difficulty falling or staying asleep because your mind won't stop, feeling jittery, restless or jittery, and stomach problems such as nausea and diarrhea. (Smith, M.A. and Segal, Ph.D., 2014). Of course, depending on the time and day, the symptoms will vary. Depending on how much stress a person with GAD is experiencing over a specific period of time, symptoms may worsen. Approximately 4 million American adults suffer from GAD over the course of a year. In most cases it begins in childhood or adolescence, but can also begin in adulthood. It is more common in women than in men. Children and adolescents often do not experience generalized anxiety disorder in the same way as adults. In children, worries will focus on certain things such as future events, past behaviors, social acceptance, family issues, personal abilities, and academic performance. Typically, it is the job of the parent or other adult to recognize the signs of a child/adolescent's GAD symptoms, because children do not realize that their anxiety is disproportionate to the situation. Some big warning signs in children are: “What if” fears about future situations, perfectionism, excessive self-criticism, fear of making mistakes, feeling that they are responsible for any disaster and their worry will prevent a tragedy from occurring. , the belief that bad luck is contagious and will happen to them, and the need for frequent reassurance and approval. (Smith, M.A. and Segal, Ph.D., 2014). Of course, in addition to these symptoms, children and adults alsoTeens may experience the same symptoms as adults. It is very important for adults to monitor their children's actions and feelings and for the child to be open about how they are feeling, both mentally and physically. Although Generalized Anxiety Disorder is more common in people over the age of 18, it can be present in anyone of any age and gender. “Carrie has always been a worrier, but this has never interfered with her life before. Lately, however, she always feels tense. She is paralyzed by an ever-present sense of fear and constantly worries about the future. Her worries make it difficult for her to concentrate on work and when she gets home she is unable to relax. Carrie also has difficulty sleeping, tossing and turning for hours before falling asleep. He also often suffers from stomach cramps and diarrhea and has chronic stiff neck due to muscle tension. Carrie feels on the verge of a nervous breakdown. ("Carrie's Story", 2014). Generalized anxiety disorder is difficult to deal with. People with GAD are unable to turn off these anxious thoughts, and the thoughts continue to run in their heads with endless repetition. GAD can affect all areas of life, including relationships with friends and family, career, school, and family relationships. According to a national survey conducted by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, (2014) seven out of ten people with generalized anxiety disorder agree that their chronic anxiety has impacted their relationships with their spouse or significant other. Two-thirds of these reported that GAD also had a negative effect on their friendships. Culpepper (2004) explained that anxiety is expressed on a neurological level through increased cortical activity. For example, this activity can be triggered by sudden noises or memories. Anxiety disorders usually emerge when patients are in their 20s and 30s; however, anxiety disorders originate much earlier in life, with most anxiety developing during childhood and adolescence. Genetic background and early education are two predictors of anxiety disorders. 20-30% of patients with panic attacks or GAD have relatives with the same disorder, and therefore patients with a family background of anxiety are more likely to develop an anxiety disorder than patients without a family background of anxiety. Early adverse experiences can lead to the expression of pre-existing genetic vulnerability to stress and disease. Studies indicate that children raised in environments characterized by neglect, separation, or abuse are more likely to develop anxiety disorders than children raised in stable environments. Therefore, generalized anxiety disorder is believed to be caused by three factors: genetics, brain chemistry, and environmental factors. The explanations for these would be genetic, being a family history of anxiety can cause someone to be more at risk of anxiety; brain chemistry leads to the fact that Generalized Anxiety Disorder has been associated with the abnormal functioning of certain nerve cell pathways that connect particular regions of the brain involved in thinking and emotions; and finally, environmental factors such as trauma such as abuse, death of a loved one, divorce, and changing jobs or schools have all been shown to lead to GAD. The history of generalized anxiety disorder is complicated. About a century ago, Sigmund Freud observed that chronic, fluctuating anxiety occurred frequently in the general population, yet, to this day, limited information is still available on the natural history of this disorder. Its similarity to normal everyday anxiety and lack ofdistinctive features have led to poor diagnostic reliability and doubts about the validity of the disorder (Woodman, MD, 1997). As common as generalized anxiety disorder is, it is surprisingly the least studied of the anxiety disorders. GAD was first defined in 1980. A major shift in the study of anxiety disorders occurred this year, when changes in classification by the American Psychiatric Association separated anxiety neurosis into a disorder panic, characterized by spontaneous episodes of intense anxiety, and GAD, a residual category. for patients suffering from chronic and prolonged anxiety without panic attacks. The distinction between these two disorders was defended at the time by the observation of differential response to drugs. The scientists noted that panic disorder responded to the drug imipram while GAD responded better to imipramine and benzodiazepines when taken for a certain period of time. Therefore, GAD has been given an independent status in the DSM, with clearly defined symptomatic criteria. The diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder has a few different options. To diagnose, a doctor may: do a physical exam to look for signs that anxiety may be linked to an underlying medical condition, order blood or urine tests if a medical condition is suspected, ask detailed questions about symptoms and medical history, or use psychological questionnaires to help determine a diagnosis. However, before a doctor performs this type of test, it is VERY important that GAD symptoms have lasted at least six months, because if diagnosed too early, it can lead to unnecessary medications being prescribed. The form of anxiety that particular person has may be short-term. Generalized anxiety disorder often occurs alongside other mental health problems, which can make diagnosis and treatment more difficult. Some disorders that commonly occur with generalized anxiety disorder include: phobias, panic disorder, depression, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Much of the diagnosis process depends on the patient and how honest they are about how they feel and how often they experience symptoms. Generalized anxiety disorder is commonly misdiagnosed because patients don't share all of their symptoms with their doctor or overly exaggerate how they feel. Just like any other psychological disorder, generalized anxiety disorder can be difficult to diagnose because each individual is different. Treatment options for generalized anxiety disorder vary in some ways. The main treatment involves psychotherapy and medications. Of course, depending on the severity of the disorder, there will be differences between the two types of treatment. The first treatment I will talk about is psychotherapy. Also known as talk therapy or psychological counseling, psychotherapy involves working with a therapist to reduce symptoms of anxiety. It can be an effective treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy for GAD. Generally a short-term treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on teaching specific skills to gradually return to activities you've avoided due to anxiety. In this type of therapy you also learn to gradually control anxious thoughts as they arise and how to get rid of them without causing harm to yourself. Through this process, your symptoms improve as you build your personal success. During cognitive behavioral therapy, a patient will learn a number of different ways to change their lifestyle for the better, which could.