General Anxiety Disorder - The Simmering Enemy Beneath

Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or G.A.D., is a sort ofsuddenly blows up and sends us into a tailspin.
side effect from a Panic Attack.A fact about G.A.D., though, that people tend to
Although it seems that Anxiety Attacks hit us from outmisunderstand, is that it isn't a physical ailment, nor is it
of the blue, the truth is that there's always anmental. Your body and brain are fine. I know that when
underlying Anxiety going on inside us. We may beyou're in the middle of an attack it seems as though
barely aware of it, but it's there, simmering beneath theyou're going raving mad, but in truth you're not. In fact,
surface.it's a behavioural condition that becomes habitual, but
It works in the same sort of way as a bicycle tyre. Ifcan easily be reversed. If you're reading this and
it's flat, you pump it up until you reach the correctfeeling awful, you won't believe me, but just stick with
pressure. The tyre's fine; under pressure, but nothingme. All will be revealed!
untoward. You'll be able to ride your bike without theIf we create a scale for anxiety, where 1 is blissful
tyre going flat or exploding. However, if you go on andpeace and 10 is a raging Anxiety Attack, the average
on, pumping and pumping, eventually the poor old tyre'sperson in a city clocks in at between 4 and 5. City life, I
going to burst. There's just too much pressure inside it.know, is very stressful. You have to be in time for
Well, that's much the same with us. All of us havework, so you have to catch the train on time. When
some anxiety, stress, pressure under which we labouryou leave work, you have to try to make your
and which is unavoidable, especially in today'sconnection, or wait for the next train, which in turn will
fast-paced world. But when this pressure, in the formmake you late arriving home. Everything, it seems, is
of Anxiety, builds and builds, there has to be angoverned by the hands of the clock and it's miserable.
escape valve and this is when the Anxiety Attack