Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms and Treatment

Everyone experiences occasional anxiety because it is a normal part of life. It is an indicator that you are human and in touch with your emotions.

Each and every one of us has our own list of what causes fear, anxiety, and worry. However, there comes a time when things reach their limits and develop into something we never even thought could happen until we experience it ourselves. 

People with generalized anxiety disorder are somewhat at the crossroads of their boundaries. Every day could feel like a persistent bug, making you think of numerous waves of anxiety and dread that are getting harder to control, which then leads to disrupting daily life.

But that is not the only type of disorder under anxiety. There are such social anxiety disorder, panic disorder and various types of phobia-related disorders. 

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association, “Around 7 million adults- New Window, or 3 per cent of the population, are affected by GAD annually, and that’s just in the United States alone and doesn’t include adolescents who also experience the condition at alarming rates and are at the highest risk of it.”

You may not be aware of the things that are causing your symptoms because we lack the knowledge about mental health and mental health conditions we need to live a life free from mental disorders. 

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Being diagnosed with GAD means that you are experiencing a consistent feeling of anxiety or dread, and it interferes with your daily life. It is excessive anxiety over things that are out of proportion to the actual situation, creating a persistent feeling of fear. 

How is Generalized Anxiety Disorder diagnosed?

GAD is usually diagnosed by family physicians or mental health professionals such as psychiatrists. To diagnose anxiety disorders such as GAD, the mental health provider may: 

• Conduct a physical exam to look for signs that the anxiety might be connected to factors such as medications or an underlying medical condition. 
• Order the possible tests needed to determine if there is another medical condition, such as a blood test or a urine test. 
• Take a detailed medical history as well as signs and symptoms. 
• Make use of psychological questionnaires to determine the diagnosis.
• Use the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association. 

Symptoms of GAD

Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder are determined by the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-V. The following symptoms of GAD based on the DSM-V are:

• Excessive worry and anxiety that last for days but for not at least six months about various things. 
• Inability to control the worry.
• The worry and anxiety are associated with at least three of the following six symptoms (with at least some symptoms present for more days than not for the past six months): 

1. Restlessness 
2. Easily fatigued
3. Difficulty concentrating
4. Irritability
5. Muscle tension
6. Sleep disturbance 

• Another mental health disorder should not better explain the disturbance. 
• The focus of anxiety and worry is not limited to the features of an Axis I disorder. For example, being contaminated as for obsessive-compulsive disorder, and being away from home or loved ones as for separation anxiety disorder. The anxiety and worry do not appear exclusively during post-traumatic stress disorder. 
• The disturbance cannot be connected to physiological effects such as drug abuse or any other medical condition. 

However, symptoms may manifest differently between children and adults. When it comes to children, they often worry about being perfect and living up or exceeding expectations.

General anxiety disorder can affect children and manifest in ways such as:

• fear that they would be unable to do well on tests 
• fear that they would not accomplish the goals that they have
• excessive focus on doing exemplary on tests
• worry way too much more than other kids

Causes of GAD

The causes of Generalized Anxiety Disorder aren’t exactly defined as of now however, it is a combination of genetic, biological and environmental factors and this may include the following:

• Genetics
• Differences in brain chemistry and function
• Development and personality 
• Differences in the way threats are viewed 
• Development and personality 

Management and Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

There are a variety of treatment techniques that aim to help as soon as mental and physical symptoms of anxiety appear. 

The best treatment option for mental health disorders may differ from how well each one will work for the patient. Both mental and physical symptoms can have different effects for people with GAD.

Despite the type of anxiety disorder, each patient will receive a specific treatment plan to treat anxiety or even reduce anxiety and make it manageable. 

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

This type of treatment can help the patients’ practical tools to manage anxiety which then helps them reduce the impact of symptoms in their daily lives. 

Exposure Therapy

In the case of GAD, the most common therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy which is exposure therapy. This is a form of therapy that exposes the patient to a stimulus of fear in slowly controlled doses for them to learn how to manage the anxiety that comes with the stimulus. 

Healthy Habits

This could not replace treatment for anxiety symptoms however it is also beneficial to practice. Some examples such as managing caffeine intake to get more sleep is proven to reduce the symptoms and causes when paired with standard care. 

Medication

There are different types of medication that help with generalized anxiety disorder in adults. A mental health professional could prescribe medication to treat GAD such as: 

• Antidepressants-which relieve the symptoms of anxiety disorders.
• Benzodiazepines-these kinds of medications are effective in rapidly decreasing anxiety. 
• Azapirones-these kinds of medications make your anxiety manageable in the long run.
• Antipsychotic or Anti-convulsant medications-other options used to manage anxiety.
• Buspirone- an anti-anxiety medication that affects the chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with anxiety. It could take weeks to start working. 

Support Groups

People with anxiety disorders benefit from joining a support group because they will be surrounded by people who experience anxiety themselves therefore, which means they have gone through the diagnosis and treatment. 

Combination of Psychotherapy and Medication

Home Remedies

Changes in your lifestyle can also be beneficial while experiencing symptoms of GAD. Although there are medications that can help, lifestyle changes will also make a difference. However, these should not replace treatment recommendations by mental health professionals. The following are examples that you can implement: 

• Start a routine and be physically active- exercise is very beneficial to reduce stress. It is a great way to improve your mood and keep you healthy. Start out slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your activities. 
• Sleep should be a priority- sleep is important for us to function properly therefore you need to make sure that you are doing everything to get the right amount of sleep you need.
• Apply relaxation techniques- activities such as meditation, yoga and visualization techniques can be beneficial for easing anxiety.
• Eating Healthy- a balanced diet focusing on fish, fruits, vegetables and whole grains can reduce anxiety, but more research is needed to support it.
• Avoiding recreational drugs and alcohol- these can cause or worsen anxiety. 
• Quit or cut back smoking and drinking coffee- both nicotine and caffeine can trigger or make anxiety worse. 

Break Free from GAD with Luxe Recovery

Fear and anxiety are two things that we cannot escape from in life. You can have a million questions about your symptoms because the world lacks the proper knowledge about mental health. We barely know anything on how to actually spot things that could trigger anxiety disorders, or whether a disorder begins in childhood or adolescence. 

Get the help as soon as symptoms appear, because mental health professionals will not rest until they design the treatment plan that works for you. Remember, anxiety is a normal part of life however, once it becomes uncontrolled, it could affect children and adults. Help with anxiety disorders and long-term treatment is possible. 

Break free from the shackles of a life full of worry with Luxe Recovery- Home.