Generalised Anxiety Disorder
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What is Generalised Anxiety disorder?
Individuals who suffer from generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) experience unrealistic or excessive worry about two or more life events. Some of the following symptoms must be present over a period of at least six months in order to consider to consider this diagnosis.
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Tension and tiredness
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Irritability
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Hard to concentrate
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insomnia
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muscle tension
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restlessness
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nausea
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abdominal distress
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shortness of breath
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racing heart
Many people with generalized anxiety disorder describe themselves as chronic worriers, who often become more upset by problems than the average person. The key component is not worry, but excessive worry.
Many people with generalized anxiety experience a panic attack at some point in their lives, in response to more severe stress. Eventually, the person begins to worry about worrying. That is, because you see yourself as an anxious person who can't handle stress very well, you develop additional anticipatory anxiety when you must face a stressful situation (e.g. going for a job interview, entering the hospital for a medical procedure, etc.)
Many primary care physicians treat generalized anxiety disorder exclusively by prescribing anti-anxiety medications, especially benzodiazepines, rather than referring the person for psychotherapy. However, these drugs are not without risk. They cause impairment of cognitive functioning, including reaction time. Many individuals experience rebound anxiety if they abruptly stop taking the medications. Research has also suggested that the benzodiazepines may produce functional changes in the central nervous system that make it difficult for people to withdraw from these drugs.
GAD is not a biological problem, it is a psychological problem with pronounced physical symptoms. It requires psychological treatment, most often a combination of behavioural and cognitive therapy. Silvia Buet has used cognitive behavioural treatment effectively to teach individuals how to reduce their anxiety by using a wide range of techniques. A combination of cognitive-behavioural interventions shows very positive results, without the drawbacks of medication. The development of cognitive coping strategies for managing anxiety is particularly effective for individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.
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Last Modified: 7 January 2006
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