Generalized Anxiety Disorder, also known as GAD, is a psychological disorder characterized by excessive worry on most days for at least 6 months. This excessive worry can lead to other symptoms, such as agitation, fear, and muscle tension.
GAD may predispose the person to other psychological disorders, especially depression. This is because the person starts to think about the possible future scenarios, worrying about minor issues, they have difficulty interrupting the worry when it starts and one worry leads to others, which causes the GAD to be characterized as cyclical.
The treatment of generalized anxiety disorder aims to interrupt the cycle of concerns and should be directed by a psychologist or psychiatrist, and may be recommended to use medications or relaxation techniques, depending on the degree of the disorder. Learn how to do the natural treatment for anxiety.
Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety
Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder last for at least 6 months and are usually accompanied by other symptoms such as muscle pain, double vision, heart changes, increased breathing rate, excessive sweating and dry mouth, for example.
The presence of these symptoms causes people suffering from this disorder to seek more medical help to solve these symptoms than psychological help, which is the main form of treatment of GAD.
See if you have any of the symptoms of generalized anxiety by doing the following test:
- 1. Did you feel nervous, anxious or on edge? Yes No
- 2. Did you find it difficult to stop feeling worried? Yes No
- 3. Were you worried about several things at once? Yes No
- 4. Did you have difficulty relaxing? Yes No
- 5. Were you so concerned that it was hard to stand still? Yes No
- 6. Did you feel easily irritable or upset? Yes No
- 7. Were you afraid as if something very bad would happen? Yes No
In addition to the excessive and constant worry, generalized anxiety can be identified through other symptoms, such as tiredness, difficulty concentrating, insomnia and extreme sensitivity. Learn more about anxiety.
The diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder is made by a psychologist or psychiatrist through the signs demonstrated by the person and, through analysis, treatment is established.
How is the treatment done?
The treatment of GAD is established by the psychiatrist or psychologist through the analysis of symptoms and aims to interrupt the cycle of concerns that is present in the person's life. If the patient's symptoms are timely, therapy sessions and activities that promote relaxation, such as meditation, yoga, and physical activity, for example, may be recommended.
However, when symptoms are more frequent and start to interfere with the quality of life, it may be necessary to use medications such as anxiolytics or antidepressants, which should be used according to medical advice. In addition, it is very important that the person continue to attend the therapy sessions even if they feel better after starting the medication.
Learn how anxiety treatment can be done.
Is Generalized Anxiety Cured?
Generalized anxiety disorder has a cure, so it is important for the person to seek psychological help as soon as he realizes that he is too preoccupied with small things, for example. Therapy is very important in these cases, since it allows the person to share their problems with another person and learn to give less value to small things.
Causes of generalized anxiety
The TAG has several causes, being very influenced by the lifestyle. People who have very hectic lives who are under continuous stress or who tend to pay close attention to the smallest detail are more likely to develop the disorder. In addition, some genetic conditions may increase a person's chance of developing this psychological disorder.
Generalized anxiety disorder can manifest itself at different ages and should be accompanied by a psychologist or psychiatrist as soon as the first symptoms appear so that the disorder does not have as much influence on the person's quality of life.
Also see how to relieve the symptoms of anxiety through the following video:
