Generalised anxiety disorder or GAD for short is an illness which is characterised by an intense chronic anxiety which is worsened by worry and tension, with usually very little or nothing to worry about.
Those suffering from the illness will go through every single day constantly worrying and anticipating disaster or being over concerned about issues such as those relating to family members, health issues, or problems with work.
A person will be diagnosed as having generalised anxiety disorder if they persistently worry for a period of longer than 6 months, most people with the illness will realise that they are overly concerned about matters, but even so they find it hard to relax and concentrate on anything but the concerns that worry them. Common symptoms that people have when suffering from this disease are:
* Having difficulty in sleeping
* Find it hard to relax
* Are easily startled by the smallest of things
* General fatigue
* Headaches
* Muscle tension and aches
* Difficulty in swallowing
* Trembling or twitching
* Feeling out of breath
* Nausea or vomiting
Treatment for general anxiety disorder
People suffering from this illness can be treated with medication, psychotherapy or a combination of both, while medication cannot cure the illness it can help to control it and the symptoms it brings.
The medication which is generally used to treatment anxiety disorders is ant-depressants, anti anxiety or beta-blockers; once treatment has been started the symptoms of the illness are usually brought under control to a degree which allows the sufferer to lead a normal life again.
Anti-depressants
It will usually take around 4 to 6 weeks before any progress is seen and symptoms start to lessen, although they were originally designed to treat depression they are thought to successfully treat those suffering from anxiety over the long term.
Anti-anxiety medication
These types of medication are normally only given for a short period of time usually no longer than a year, but they can be especially helpful for those who suffer from panic attacks.
Beta-blockers
Beta-blockers are commonly used for heart conditions but they can successfully treat certain physical symptoms associated with anxiety disorders, they are especially useful for dealing with phobias, for example giving speeches or taking an exam.
Psychotherapy
Cognitive behaviour therapy is thought to be useful in treating anxiety disorders by helping people to change how they perceive and react to anxiety provoking situations.
For example the therapy can help the person to learn that although the panic attacks are debilitating they are only brought about by the person’s own fears. When people face their fears they are shown ways that they can successfully deal with them when they happen instead of avoiding places which can trigger them.
