Being anxious, worried and doubtful in times is common and considered a normal response to life’s daily encounter. But there is really a difference between a normal worrying and an anxiety disorder. Generalized anxiety disorders involve anxiety and worry that is extreme and persistent. This occurs when worry is beyond the usual reaction of a person.
Generalized anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive thinking and dwelling too much on “what ifs”. People in this condition may worry about things that other people do such as money matters, family issues, health or work problems, etc. but they tend to take these worries to a higher level, thus making normal life difficult. They can’t seem to get rid of their concerns in life and they can’t relax. They also have difficulty concentrating most of the time.
Worrying involved in generalized anxiety disorders is much more frequent and troublesome. General anxiety does not cause you to keep away from the situation and there is no such thing as “panic attack” involved in this. It is mainly the constant thinking and pondering on a situation, making it hard to shut the mind off. Anxious feeling is so dominant that thoughts sometimes seem non-existent.
The symptoms of generalized anxiety disorders can be manifested both physically and psychologically. Psychological symptoms include irritability, difficulty concentrating, constant worrying or obsession to some concerns and inability to relax. While nausea, diarrhea, trembling, sweating, muscle tension or aches, and shortness of breath are some of its physical indications. Compared to the other anxiety disorders, GAD’s signs and symptoms usually develop more slowly and they commonly start at an early age.
Generalized anxiety disorders can affect people from basically all ages and concerns would vary from each other. For children, most of them become perfectionists; hence they tend to do again their tasks because they lack perfection in the first time. Too often they also lack self-confidence. They also strive for the approval of others and too eager to fit in. With adolescents, they often worry over their punctuality and their performance in school or sports.
The causes of generalized anxiety disorders are not completely known up to now due to its complicated nature. However, it is believed that the development of this illness is caused by environmental and hereditary factors and brain chemistry. An imbalance of neurotransmitters namely dopamine and serotonin affect a person’s response to a particular situation. When the brain’s response is affected, anxiety will then start to arise. When you have a history of GAD in the family, you too have a 20% risk of developing it. Stressful events and trauma may lead to GAD.
Once you are diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorders, there are some things you can do to make yourself feel better and reduce your overall anxiety levels. You can practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing and meditation. Have a positive outlook in life and think of your GAD as a way for you to improve yourself. In addition, have a healthy lifestyle and maintain an optimistic aura.