Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Comprehension

By Gordon Dalwood

There seems to be a number of prevalent myths surrounding the condition of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Many of these myths center on the notion that GAD is not a serious condition and that most people who suffer from it are weak minded. While such stereotypical notions are common, they are not even remotely accurate in terms of their ability to properly diagnose such a condition. GAD is far from a minor psychological hang up. It is a serious debilitating condition that affects millions of people.

GAD is a chronic panic form that is focused on worry and nervousness. Paranoia, fear and nervousness are the feelings a person suffering from GAD will deal with on a regular basis. The feelings will involve personal, family and financial matters. To qualify as GAD, the feelings must be of at least a 6 month duration.

Additionally, people suffering from GAD tend to suffer from a variety of symptoms, such as drowsiness, forgetfulness, irritability, lack of energy, insomnia, as well as a host of other issues. Furthermore, with so much anxiety playing on a person's mind, this psychological problem soon starts to manifest in physical ways. When the condition reaches this stage, the effects make it virtually impossible for a person to lead a normal day to day life.

In some cases, the sufferer of GAD may experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms. This could include flashbacks of traumatic, anxiety inducing events. These intrusive flashbacks can greatly undermine the quality of the person's life and lead to living a life far less beneficial than one would experience without dealing with GAD. This is why seeking treating for GAD is so important.

An analysis is the number one priority when considering treatment. The psychiatrist will administer a number of standardized tests to start the analysis. Then based on the tests, a diagnosis will be made and treatment will be started. Normally this is a prescribed medicine for the anxiety which should help to alleviate the problem.

Some patients will recover just fine simply by using the anti-anxiety prescriptions. There will be those, however, that prefer to meet with a therapist and discuss counseling options to reduce the onset of GAD. For many, the mix of prescription medication and therapy work quite well.

Furthermore, it's extremely important not to dismiss making a few simple lifestyle changes to further reduce anxiety. Taking part sports, changing one's diet, having hobbies that reduce tension can all have a calming and therapeutic.

Those who think GAD is not a serious condition should be dismissed. The opinions of these people are not based on any professional knowledge and are not going to help. The condition is not going to go away by ignoring it and listening to well meaning advice is not advised. This is a myth and has no value as a cure. Seek help from those who know what they are doing.

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