Symptoms, causes and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
The symptoms of Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and depression often overlap and vary from person to person. If you experience feelings of anxiety frequently and also have several of the following symptoms, you'll want to make an appointment with your doctor to discuss a diagnosis and follow-up treatment plan. Here, our discussion is limited to generalized anxiety disorder.
Typical symptoms of GAD include persistent worrying and difficulty controlling the worrisome thoughts, irritability, restlessness or nervousness, muscle tension and pain, difficulty concentrating or focusing on the task at hand, tiring easily without apparent reason, difficulty falling asleep, insomnia, or an inability to sleep through the night. Stress headaches are another symptom of GAD.
In the past, GAD was thought to be the result of a psychological, or emotional 'weakness'. Thankfully, modern medicine now recognizes generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) to be a medical condition, frequently related to low levels of serotonin, a chemical naturally produced in the brain. There are a number of physical and lifestyle factors which can cause a decrease in normal levels of serotonin, triggering the onset of this disorder. Major life events can also influence the onset of GAD. Generally, GAD develops over time, possibly due to a gradual falling off of adequate levels of serotonin
Some of the types of physical factors which can induce GAD include health problems associated with aging, such as arthritis, medications, or, in women, hormonal changes experienced with childbirth or during menopause. Some studies suggest that GAD can be hereditary. Severe stress is another trigger associated with GAD. Lifestyle factors, such as drug or alcohol abuse are other possible causes. Major life events, such as divorce, loss of a family member, or major financial problems can also cause generalized anxiety disorder.
Because the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and depression can be similar, it's important to make a list of your symptoms and keep a log of the severity of each and how often they occur. This will help your doctor assess your condition, make a proper diagnosis and prescribe a medication which will relieve your symptoms.
When you go to your appointment, don't be afraid to discuss any factors which might help your doctor make the correct diagnosis. Honesty is essential to effective treatment.
While there are a number of medications that effectively treat generalized anxiety disorder, you'll want to continue to keep your symptom log, again recording frequency, severity and duration of each symptom. Your doctor should monitor your progress and, if you're not finding significant relief with one, may opt to change to another medication, better suited to your specific symptoms. Some of these medications may not bring immediate results they may take a week or more before you begin to feel improvement as your serotonin levels increase. Adjustments in dosage may also be necessary to achieve optimum results.
Generalized anxiety disorder is far more common than you might think, but there is help. With a proper diagnosis and treatment plan, you'll soon be feeling better than you have in a very long while!
