“My child is driving in the rain. I hope he doesn't have an accident. “I'm home alone and I hear a scratching noise. It must be a burglar! These may be the thoughts of someone suffering from generalized anxiety disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental health condition in which a person often feels worried or anxious about many things and has difficulty controlling this anxiety. It is classified as an anxiety disorder. When we are anxious, we tend to see the world as a threatening and dangerous place. In the case of an anxious person thinking a burglar is trying to break into the house, they can prepare to run out of the house, fend off an attack, or run to the phone and call for help. Although this anxious response might be helpful if there actually was a burglar, it was not helpful if the thought was false. There was no real danger. (“Realistic thinking”, nd). We all worry about something at some point, but people with GAD experience this symptom much more often. It is obvious that a person with GAD always worries, even if there is little or no reason to worry. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder fall into three categories: emotional, behavioral, and physical. Emotional symptoms include: constant worry running through your head, feeling like your anxiety is out of control; there is nothing you can do to stop worrying and intrusive thoughts about things that make you anxious; you try to avoid thinking about it, but you can't, because you are unable to tolerate uncertainty; you need to know what is going to happen in the future and have a pervasive feeling of apprehension or fear. Behavioral symptoms include: inability to relax, enjoy quiet time or being alone, difficulty concentrating or concentrating on things, putting things off because you feel overwhelmed and avoid situations that make you anxious. Physical symptoms of GAD include: feeling tense, muscle tightness or aches, difficulty falling or staying asleep because your mind won't stop, feeling edgy, restless or nervousness, and stomach problems such as nausea and diarrhea. (Smith, M.A. and Segal, Ph.D., 2014). Of course, depending on the time and day, symptoms fluctuate. Depending on the level of stress a person with GAD experiences over a given period of time, it can make symptoms worse. Approximately 4 million American adults suffer from GAD over the course of a year. It most often begins in childhood or adolescence, but can begin in adulthood. It is more common in women than in men. Children and adolescents often do not suffer from generalized anxiety disorder in the same way as adults. In children, worry will focus on certain things such as future events, past behaviors, social acceptance, family matters, their personal abilities and their academic performance. Typically, it is the job of a parent or other adult to recognize the signs of a child/teen's GAD symptoms, as children do not realize that their anxiety is out of proportion to the situation. . Some big warning signs in children are: fears related to future situations, perfectionism, excessive self-criticism,the fear of making mistakes, the feeling that they are responsible for any disaster and that their worry will prevent a tragedy from happening. , the belief that misfortune is contagious and will happen to them, and the need for frequent reassurance and approval. (Smith, M.A. and Segal, Ph.D., 2014). Of course, in addition to these symptoms, children and adolescents can also experience the same symptoms as adults. It is very important for adults to monitor their children's actions and feelings, and for their children to be open about how they feel, both mentally and physically. Although generalized anxiety disorder is more common in people over the age of 18, it can be present in anyone, regardless of age and gender. “Carrie has always been a worrywart, but it has never interfered with her life before. However, lately she feels horny all the time. She is paralyzed by an ever-present feeling of dread and constantly worries about the future. Her worries prevent her from concentrating at work and when she comes home, she can't relax. Carrie also has difficulty sleeping, tossing and turning for hours before falling asleep. She also frequently suffers from stomach cramps and diarrhea, as well as chronic stiff neck due to muscle tension. Carrie feels like she's on the verge of a nervous breakdown. (“Carrie’s Story,” 2014). Generalized anxiety disorder is difficult to deal with. People with GAD are unable to turn off these anxious thoughts, and these thoughts continue to repeat endlessly in their heads. GAD can affect all areas of life, including relationships with friends and family, career, school, and family relationships. According to a national survey by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (2014), seven in ten people with generalized anxiety disorder agreed that their chronic anxiety impacted their relationships with their spouse or loved ones. Two-thirds of them also said that GAD also had a negative effect on their friendships. Culpepper (2004) explained that anxiety is expressed neurologically through higher cortical activity. For example, this activity can be activated by sudden noises or memories. Anxiety disorders typically appear when patients are in their 20s or early 30s; However, anxiety disorders appear much earlier in life, with most anxieties developing during childhood and adolescence. Genetic heritage and early education are two predictive factors of anxiety disorders. Twenty to thirty percent of patients with panic or GAD have relatives with the same disorder, and therefore patients with a family history of anxiety are more likely to develop an anxiety disorder than patients without a family history of anxiety. Early negative experiences can lead to the expression of a pre-existing genetic vulnerability to stress and illness. Studies indicate that children raised in environments of neglect, separation, or abuse are more likely to develop anxiety disorders than children raised in stable environments. Therefore, generalized anxiety disorder is believed to be caused by three factors: genetics, brain chemistry, and environmental factors. Explanations are believed to be genetic, as a family history of anxiety can make a person more at risk for anxiety; brain chemistry leads to the fact that generalized anxiety disorder has been associated with abnormal functioning of certain nerve cell pathways that connectparticular regions of the brain involved in thought and emotion; and finally, environmental factors such as trauma such as abuse, death of a loved one, divorce, and changing jobs or schools have all been shown to lead to GAD. The history of generalized anxiety disorder is complicated. About a century ago, Sigmund Freud noted that chronic free-floating anxiety was common in the general population and yet, to date, available information on the natural history of this disorder is still limited. Its resemblance to normal everyday anxiety and lack of distinguishing features has led to low diagnostic reliability and questions about the validity of the disorder (Woodman, MD, 1997). As common as generalized anxiety disorder is, it is surprisingly the least studied anxiety disorder. GAD was first defined in 1980. A major shift in the study of anxiety disorders occurred this year, when changes in the American Psychiatric Association classification separated anxiety neurosis into a disorder panic, characterized by spontaneous episodes of intense anxiety, and GAD, a residual category. for patients with chronic, sustained anxiety without panic attacks. The distinction between these two disorders was defended at the time by the observation of a differential response to medications. The scientists noted that panic disorder responded to the drug imipram, while GAD responded better to imipramine as well as benzodiazepines if taken for a period of time. Thus, GAD was given independent status in the DSM, with clearly defined symptom criteria. Diagnosing generalized anxiety disorder has several different options. To make a diagnosis, a doctor may: perform a physical exam to look for signs that a person's anxiety might be related to an underlying medical problem order blood or urine tests if a problem A medical condition is suspected, ask detailed questions about your symptoms and medical history, or use psychological questionnaires to help determine a diagnosis. However, before a doctor performs this type of testing, it is VERY important that GAD symptoms have lasted for at least six months, because if diagnosed too early, they can lead to medications being prescribed that are not necessary. . The type of anxiety this person feels may be short-lived. Generalized anxiety disorder often occurs alongside other mental health conditions, which can make diagnosis and treatment more difficult. Some disorders that commonly occur with generalized anxiety disorder include: phobias, panic disorder, depression, substance abuse, and PTSD. Much of the diagnostic process depends on the patient and their honesty about their feelings and how often they experience symptoms. Generalized anxiety disorder is often misdiagnosed because patients do not share all of their symptoms with their doctor or excessively exaggerate what they are feeling. Like any other psychological disorder, GAD can be difficult to diagnose because each individual is different. Treatment options for generalized anxiety disorder vary in several ways. The main treatment involves psychotherapy and medication. Of course, depending on the severity of the disorder, there are differences between the two types of treatment. The first treatment I will talk about is psychotherapy. Also known as talk therapy or psychological counseling, psychotherapy involves working with a therapist to reduce your anxiety symptoms. This can be a.