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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.
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