| What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder? | | | | positive and brings a sense of comfort and completion. |
| Generalized anxiety disorder treatment or (GAD) is a | | | | Touching - Pet a pet, touch things that are soft. Get a |
| mental state in which your worries and fears happen | | | | massage to relax your muscles a lot of stress builds |
| so much that they interfere with your life to the point | | | | up muscle tension and getting rid of that may just help |
| where you cannot function or relax. Small things and | | | | you. |
| big things alike make you worry excessively about | | | | Smelling - Smell things that bring a sense of relaxation |
| what might happen or will happen. This in turn makes | | | | such as candles and air fresheners. Smell the outdoors |
| you worry about something for the rest of the day for | | | | and all that it brings. The smell of food may be |
| no real reason. It also affects you physically. Your | | | | appealing to some, or put on some of those perfume |
| body will get tired from all the mental strain and stress | | | | or cologne fragrances that you love so dearly. |
| and your muscles will ache, you won't be able to sleep, | | | | Additional Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatments |
| and be tired all the time. | | | | The key to dealing with anxiety is to accept your |
| GAD involves anxiety and worry that is constantly | | | | anxiety, to make sure that it's not taking over your life |
| tugging at your mind. Of course everyone has their | | | | and being careful. Act like nothing is wrong even |
| own problems to deal with and stress over things like | | | | though it is, usually taking the first step is all you need. |
| health, money, school, family, love, and more but | | | | Separate yourself from your anxiety, know that it's an |
| generalized anxiety disorder make a person take it to | | | | emotion and that it should not control your whole life, |
| a whole new level. Small things like someone not | | | | you control your life. Be Optimistic and hope for the |
| returning a phone call turns into someone thinking up | | | | best of everything. Look to the good and the upside to |
| new things that aren't even going to happen or a | | | | things that are happening not the bad or things that |
| comment about something bad makes you relate | | | | you might think will happen. |
| something that is happening into something a lot worse | | | | Every person is different so the treatment for every |
| then it is. Whether you realize that your anxiety is a lot | | | | person can be different dependent on their situation, |
| more extreme then the situation calls for or that you | | | | personality, life experiences, etc. There may be a time |
| believe it's affecting your life negatively, the end result | | | | where professional help might be needed. These |
| is the same. You can't turn off your thoughts when | | | | people study the human behavior and are trained and |
| you have GAD and they will constantly keep at you | | | | studied in the ways of helping people like you. First it is |
| and wear your health down. | | | | never a bad idea to consult with a professional to |
| Symptoms: | | | | make sure that you don't' have GAD. Things like |
| The symptoms of GAD fluctuate from person to | | | | trauma and new life circumstances make cause you |
| person. You may notice better and worse times in | | | | to have excess stress that is temporary so make |
| general or more specific to what time it happens. | | | | sure that you have GAD. Generally GAD is |
| Stress only adds to the disorder. Some of the | | | | accompanied by other problems such as alcohol and |
| symptoms that have been proven are soreness of | | | | drug abuse,depression, and other disorders. |
| muscles, trouble falling asleep or staying up, nausea, | | | | Therapy: One method of treating anxiety disorder is |
| diarrhea, stomach problems, always tired, and being | | | | therapy. Therapy can be as useful or better then |
| very edgy. Psychologically you may feel irritated, not | | | | medication for certain people. Therapy has no |
| able to relax or control your anxiety, the lowering of | | | | downsides and cannot have side effects like medicine |
| concentration levels, or even the fear of losing control. | | | | can. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one type of |
| Some children may have GAD but don't' realize it and | | | | treatment that is helpful in treating GAD. Your therapist |
| it's important for the adults to catch the signs of this | | | | will help you sort out your thoughts and feelings and |
| disorder before it takes a toll on the child. They can | | | | identity what kind of thoughts are causing you to think |
| spot the symptoms from any of the ones listed above | | | | the way you do. Cognitive behavioral therapy involves |
| and some of the ones that pertain more to children | | | | 5 main points: |
| are: What ifs about the future, perfectionism, the fear | | | | Monitoring - In CBT you learn to control your thoughts |
| of making mistakes, excessive criticism about | | | | and emotions. You'll learn to watch what you are doing |
| themselves, feeling like they are to blame for | | | | and analyze why you are having anxiety and stressing. |
| something that wasn't their fault, or something small like | | | | Education - Knowledge is power. CBT education is a |
| the need for approval and reassurance all the time. | | | | big power because if you know what you are fighting, |
| Treatments: | | | | then you have a fighting chance. It teaches you what |
| Generalized anxiety disorder treatments are many. A | | | | anxiety disorder is and the realization in itself is helpful. |
| lot of them are psychological. Making necessary life | | | | To know what you are dealing with gives you more |
| changes may help treat this disorder such as lowering | | | | power over your mental state and encourages a |
| the intake of caffeine, exercising, or changing focus | | | | more accepting and proactive response instead of just |
| points. For some meditation does wonders, deep | | | | worrying. |
| breathing, and the ability to relax has to play a big | | | | Physical Control - Things like Yoga and deep breathing |
| factor. Taking the focus off GAD can be done by | | | | techniques. |
| taking the problem into your own hands, learning to | | | | Behavioral - Attacking your worries head on is always |
| accept that things happen and challenging the notion | | | | a strategy. Dealing with negative thoughts allows a |
| that maybe all your worries are not as bad as they | | | | person's fears to subside. To think of more positive |
| seem to be. | | | | things like if I worry less then bad things will happen |
| Some people with GAD just don't know how to relax. | | | | less. |
| There are simple easy techniques to learn that can | | | | Cognitive Control - Instead of looking to things and |
| help soothe someones thoughts. The best methods | | | | seeing fear and worry these therapists will teach you |
| for doing this is to incorporate your five senses seeing, | | | | to evaluate your situation and thinking patterns and see |
| hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling. | | | | why you think the way you do. As you deal with these |
| Seeing - Look at something positive like pictures of | | | | negative feelings maybe you will find what is really |
| cute things or beautiful things in nature like the sunset, | | | | bothering you and causing you the anxiety that you |
| the park, gardens. Walk around and look for things that | | | | are feeling. |
| improve the quality of life. Look at the photos and think | | | | Medication and GAD |
| about the people that you love. | | | | There is also the option of medication. They are most |
| Hearing - There is a lot of music like classical music | | | | likely prescribed by your therapist. The main three |
| that is more melody that helps soothe your thoughts. | | | | types of medication are Busipiron which is the safest |
| Listen to things that relate to white noise (A neutral | | | | drug but it may not eliminate anxiety. Benzodiazepines |
| sound that cancels noise) things like birds and the | | | | work very fast but is temporary. Sometimes they may |
| sound of waves and if you have no time there are | | | | lead to withdrawal of the drug. Antidepressants is the |
| always cds that have those things. | | | | third most common prescribed drug. It's used to help |
| Tasting - The taste of your favorite dessert, things | | | | your anxiety, it is not instant and sometimes may not |
| that make you feel more happy about yourself. Food | | | | be working for a few weeks and may even cause |
| generally tends to make people feel a lot more | | | | sleep problems. |