Analysis Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about everyday things that is disproportionate to the actual source of worry. This excessive worry often interferes with daily functioning, as individuals suffering GAD typically anticipate disaster, and are overly concerned about everyday matters such as health issues, money, death, family problems, friend problems, relationship problems or work difficulties.[1] They often exhibit a variety of physical symptoms, including fatigue, fidgeting, headaches, nausea, numbness in hands and feet, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, bouts of difficulty breathing, trembling, twitching, irritability,

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorder in the United States. Between 15 - 19% of the population suffers from this disorder, which impairs the quality of life and functioning (Stuart 218). What is anxiety? Abnormal Psychology describes anxiety as “an adaptive emotion that helps us plan and prepare for a possible theat.” The text book further states, “worrying about many different aspects of life becomes chronic, excessive, and unreasonable.” This is also known as generalized anxiety disorder or GAD (Butcher 201). DSM IV-TR specifies that GAD is a worry that occurs more days then not for at least 6 months, and that it must be experienced as difficult to control (Butcher 201). 25% of those that suffer from this

GAD is diagnosed when a person worries excessively about a variety of everyday problems for at least 6 months. Physical symptoms include tension, fatigue, insomnia, irritability, gastrointestinal problems, restlessness and edginess (Aikins & Craske, 2001). Excessive worry becomes a typical way of thinking and everyday problems result in a series of ''what-if'' thoughts, which eventually leads to a disastrous prediction. Because individuals with GAD are highly sensitive to threat in general, particularly when it has personal significance, they frequently observe possible threats (Barlow, 2002). In response to these anticipated dangers, fight-or-flight reactions are activated. In most anxiety disorders, it is generally clear what needs to be escaped or avoided (e.g., spiders or public speaking), but in GAD there is

The main feature of (GAD) is characterized by “excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation) about a number of events or activities” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals, who are diagnosed with GAD, often have worrisome thoughts that are hard to control which inhibits them from concentrating on everyday tasks. To distinguish GAD from nonpathological anxiety, it is important to keep in mind several features. The worries associated with GAD are excessive and problematic for psychical functioning, more pervasive, pronounced and distressing, and are accompanied by physical symptoms (e.g., restlessness) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It is important to note that symptoms of GAD can be misunderstood for different reasons. Risk and prognostic factors can be temperamental, environmental, and genetic and physiological, additionally, cultural factors in the expression of GAD also need to be considered. Given the information above about GAD, it can be concluded that it is important to have treatment for such disorder in order to help individuals have

Generalized Anxiety disorder (GAD) is a disorder consisting of excessive worrying, tension and nervousness. This condition can occur over and over again and if left untreated can lead to suicidal and violent thoughts in the patient. Even though there are certain triggers to the condition, the person eventually becomes so used to worrying and taking stress that they can't control the feeling. These dreadful feelings and excessive thinking eventually overtakes them and leads them into more and more depression. Consequently, the stress and anxiety interferes with the patient's ability to lead a normal life. The major symptoms of this order are motor tension, violence, autonomic hyperactivity, apprehension, and vigilance. GAD has been defined as a state of worry and anxiety that lasts for at least six months and is accompanied by any of the associative symptoms. Associative symptoms included irritability, insomnia, and fatigability.

While anxiety is usually a standard reaction in the direction of harmful uncertain important or threatening scenarios GAD puts a terrifying twist on anxiety. The response in Generalized Anxiety Disorder is really a pathological anxiety. Right here the nervousness is extreme and persistent. Generalized Anxiety Condition can interfere using the persons everyday

“Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive worry about a variety of topics.”(Craighead, 2008) At first I found it hard to believe that Generalized Anxiety Disorder was a real debilitating

Anxiety disorders can take over one’s life, and are very difficult to overcome and live with. The truth of the unknown and wanting to know what is unknown can cause these anxious feelings and thoughts. People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, live life with persistent and constant levels of anxiety. Unlike

People who suffer from GAD always anticipate the worst. They frequently worry about family, money, work or their health. Just getting through each day provokes

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a DSM-V anxiety disorder characterized by excessive worry and apprehensiveness about a variety of present and future activities and events. 48

GAD is a chronic disturbance characterized by excessive worry and apprehension accompanied by psychic and somatic symptoms of stress

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterised by exaggerated and excessive anxiety and worry concerning everyday life events (Roemer, Orsillo, & Barlow, 2002, as cited in Treanor, Erisman, Salter-Pedneault, Roemer, & Orsillo, 2010). This can include; work, family, money and many other factors. Approximately 2% of the population is affected by GAD (Stapinski, Abbott, & Rapee, 2010, as cited in Burton, Westen & Kowalski, 2015). GAD majorly affects the way people think, which can also result in physical symptoms. Patients can exhibit a broad range of symptoms, including; insomnia, fatigue, headaches, nausea, sweating, irritability and so on (Sansgiry & Sail, 2006). There are many different methods employed for the treatment of GAD.

The beginning of the article by Borkovec and Roemer bring up an important part of anxiety disorder. They discussed the two different functions of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). There is the function were people can isolate due to their worries and anxiety. This is part of GAD that to me appears to be more common. GAD appears to be one of those disorders that can be minimized greatly by the public. In that sense it is close to the view on Depressive disorders; the person is just sad and they need to get over it. Anxiety Disorders can be a similar view, which they are just over thinking things. To me this could drive a person to isolate and sit with their thoughts. A person may know that they should not be anxious but still are and feel as though others would not understand why they are anxious or the public thinks that they are just being silly so I am just going to keep them to myself. Really a person should be talking about those feelings and letting them out to be able to better deal with the feelings, worries and thoughts of anxieties. This brings up the section function of GAD which was the positive aspect. The authors discussed how it can promote problem solving and coping skills to be prepared and change one’s life and thoughts. A person should be talking about their thoughts and anxieties and when they talk about it have a problem solving discussion. A how can I change this? It is one hundred percent easier said than done but I believe that is part of the

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a disorder in which an individual may feel persistent, excessive, and worry about everyday things that may not even happen. Individuals with this disorder may feel worry, excessive anxiety, and have thoughts of the worst even when there is no need for concern. A person experiencing GAD may expect a disaster. They may worry about their finances, money, health, family, work, or any issue that may come to mind. This disorder may be present when a person worrying increases on more days than one for at least six months. GAD can interfere with work, school, family, and even social activities. GAD can be diagnosed in adults when they experience at least three of the symptoms. These symptoms include restlessness or feeling on the edge, fatigue, difficulty focusing or mind going blank, irritability, muscle tension, pain in back or headaches, and sleep disturbance (ADAA, n.d.).

This usually deals with how one thinks like in Allison case (Comer, 2010). One of the main components of the cognitive perspective in the case of GAD is how one is always worried that something negative will happen. For example, an individual may be worried that their house will burn down, so they check outlets every time they leave the house. This was something that Allison did at a young age and family members always notice that she constantly worried about everything. In Allison case the cognitive perspective is how she worries about certain aspect of her life in return affecting her daily life. In the article it states that Allison had a constant worry of being in a car crash, which is one of the main reasons why Allison had no desire to get a driver's license. Another instance where Allison became overcome with feelings of worriment is how she fears her mother would be diagnosed with cancer. This was only after she found out that smoking and lung cancer are correlated. This worriment continued as Allison believed that she could still get lung cancer from secondhand smoke. This was still a possible,