Have you ever started obsessing over something that was completely out of your control? Do you worry that something will go wrong even though there’s no reason why there should be a problem? For example, maybe you obsess over having cancer, even though you are not at all sick and you have no symptoms that would lead you to believe that you have cancer. If so, then you could be suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Those with GAD may focus on different things including money, work, school, family, or health. GAD may interfere with your ability to enjoy activities or leave the house including functioning well at work or school, attending social functions, or having relationships with other.
Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
The following symptoms are common for those who have GAD:
• Irritable and on edge
• Sweating
• Difficulty concentrating
• Lethargy
• Trembling
• Sleep problems
• Having an unrealistic view of problems
Causes of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
There are three main causes of GAD, which include heredity, brain chemistry, and the environment. Many who develop GAD have a family member who dealt with GAD, such as a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle. Those who have GAD have also been found to have an abnormal amount of neurotransmitters, which are used as messengers to transfer information from one part of the brain to another. When these neurotransmitters are not properly balanced, these messages can’t move through the brain how they should, causing the brain to not react how it should, which can lead to anxiety.
The environmental factors involve stressful situations and trauma (including abuse, death of someone in the family, divorce, moving to a new place, etc.). These events can trigger the development of GAD or, if the person is already dealing with GAD, then the event can worsen symptoms.
Most of the time, GAD develops while in childhood, but it is possible to develop symptoms as an adult. It is unknown why, but more women suffer from GAD than men.
Treatment of GAD typically involves taking anti-anxiety medication and going to cognitive-behavioral therapy.
