Generalised Anxiety Disorder
Everyone worries time to time. Worry
is one way we deal with uncertainty and it gives us the illusion
that we are actively involved in preparing for a possible negative event.
In fact, when we are worrying we are not preparing for anything specific,
but engaging in a "what if..." style thinking.
Most people
recognise quickly that worrying is not a useful strategy and are
able to stop. Others are unable to stop the worries and over time they may
develop a condition called generalised anxiety disorder
(GAD).
If you feel that you are unable to relax because of
constant thoughts of something negative happening, if you have
difficulty concentrating or sleeping and if you live in a state of
"nervous tension", you may consider professional help to learn
strategies to manage your life
better.
What is Generalised Anxiety?
Generalised anxiety disorder is characterised
by persistent and non-specific anxiety and worry. Usually the worry
is disproportionate to a situation and shifts between different areas of
an individual's life, such as worry about money, relationships or work.
Since the worry can be triggered by many different events, hence the name
"generalised" anxiety.
One of the key elements of generalised
anxiety is the persistent nature of worry. Most people with GAD worry
for years or even decades before they seek treatment. The worrying tends
to fluctuate between mild concern and
intense episodes of anxiety. Completely worry free periods are
rare and short lived.
Once established, the worry cycle is
difficult to break. In fact, people with generalised anxiety engage in
behaviours that maintain the process of worry:
Seeking
Reassurance
People with GAD want to be
reassured that what they worry about will not happen to them.
This reassurance seeking can take many forms. Frequent medical
checks, repetitive conversations with friends and Internet
searches for reassuring information are only a few to
name.
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Checking
For people
with GAD checking serves the purpose of making sure that
everything has been done to eliminate the possibility of a
feared event happening. Of course, it is impossible to control
an outcome with 100% certainty and the checking becomes more
frequent and the anxiety more severe over
time.
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Avoidance
People
with GAD (and anxiety disorders in general) often avoid situations,
places or people that believed to elicit anxiety. Yet, instead
of reducing anxiety about a feared situation, place or
particular people, avoidance re-enforces the belief that these
stimuli are indeed "dangerous", resulting in increased
anxiety.
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Symptoms
of Generalised Anxiety
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Excessive worry and anxiety about a number of
different events (e.g., work, relationship, finances,
health...etc).
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Difficulty controlling or monitoring the the
worries.
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Restlessness, feeling edgy and
uptight.
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Tiredness and being easily fatigued.
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Concentration and attentional difficulties.
Feeling that the mind goes "blank".
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Irritability and being over sensitive. Anger and
angry outbursts may be present.
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Physical tension, particularly muscle tension in
the shoulders.
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Sleep difficulties. Difficulty falling asleep
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Treatment of Generalised Anxiety
Since the
core element of generalised anxiety is worry, treatment primarerly
targets the underlying worry process. Managing worry is a
skill that includes improved awareness of the worry process, the
ability to relax in the face of worrying thoughts and the ability to
recognise that the worries are irrational.
Fortunately,
anxiety disorders are probably the most easily treatable psychological
disorders. The outcomes are generally positive and people can learn
to lead a fulfilling and functioning life relatively
quickly.
