What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder? Signs, Symptoms, And Management
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) impacts millions of people across the globe. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 6% of all U.S. adults will experience it at some point in their lives. Among adolescents, the lifetime prevalence is 3-5%.
While anxiety can impact everyone differently and hit with different severities, it’s something that can’t be ignored. It can be crippling, controlling, and leave you with a variety of symptoms that will negatively affect your quality of life.
The more we, as a society, understand about GAD, the more we can take steps to manage it. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at what generalized anxiety disorder is, including some of the symptoms, and what you can do to fight back against it.
What Causes Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
There isn’t one cause linked to GAD. Rather, a variety of factors can play a part. Some of the most common causes include stress, other mental health conditions, environmental factors, and even major life changes or crises.
Genetics can also play a role. If you have a close family member with generalized anxiety disorder, you might be more likely to develop it, yourself. However, even individuals with no prior history of mental health issues can experience GAD if they’re met with a stressful situation or negative environmental factors including abuse, trauma, or even financial issues.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
The biggest sign of GAD is excessive worry. It’s perfectly normal to be concerned about the things in your life that might cause stress or affect you in negative ways. However, when your fear outweighs the reality of the situation or your worry starts to take over in every area of life, it’s considered anxiety.
The persistent worry caused by anxiety often becomes difficult to control, so you’re living in fear more often than not. That can create a myriad of negative symptoms, including sleep problems, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and withdrawal from healthy relationships.
Anxiety is a mental health condition. But, it can also manifest itself through physical symptoms. It’s not uncommon for people with GAD to struggle with muscle pain, headaches, and digestive issues. During anxiety attacks, you might even experience lightheadedness or dizziness, sweating, and a racing heart.
What Can You Do?
Anxiety rarely goes away on its own. In fact, the longer you try to ignore it or mask your symptoms, the worse it’s likely to become.
But, if you’re willing to reach out for help, it’s often a very manageable condition. Therapy is often the best way to not only manage generalized anxiety disorder, but better understand what caused it, to begin with.
Your therapist will work with you to determine what’s triggering your anxiety so you can effectively fight back. You’ll also learn management techniques and coping skills to use when your negative, worrying thoughts try to creep in.
On your own, you can also fight back against anxiety symptoms every day. Prioritizing self-care is a great way to start. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, and staying physically active.
Try stress-reduction techniques like mindfulness and meditation. They can help you stay grounded in the present, rather than letting anxious thoughts cause you to focus on the unknown. Keeping a journal is another great way to get your anxious thoughts out in the open and keep track of how far you’ve come.
Finally, don’t hesitate to lean on your support system. Anxiety can feel isolating at times. But, letting the people who care about you help you work through your fears can make a big difference.
Don’t wait before getting the help you deserve. If you’ve been dealing with the signs and symptoms of GAD for too long, contact me to set up an appointment to discuss anxiety therapy soon.
