About 18 percent of American adults have anxiety disorders. Approximately 7 percent of the population will suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
GAD involves excessive anxiety/worry occurring more days than not for at least six months. The disorder is a pattern of frequent, constant worry and anxiety over many different activities and events. The anxiety, worry, or physical symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
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Having this disorder means always anticipating disaster. There is chronic and exaggerated worry and tension, even though nothing seems to provoke it. People with GAD seem unable to relax. They often have trouble falling or staying asleep. Their worries are accompanied by physical symptoms.
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The symptoms of GAD are: muscle tension (headaches, shakiness), sleep disturbance, stomach/intestinal ailments, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, being easily tired, lump in the throat, feeling lightheaded, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and excess anxiety/worry that is out of proportion to the situation.
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The disorder may start at any time in life, including childhood. GAD occurs more often in women than in men. GAD comes on gradually and most often hits people in childhood or adolescence, but can begin in adulthood.
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Biological and psychological factors play a role in the condition. Stressful life situations or behavior developed through learning may contribute to GAD. It has been estimated that about 30 percent of the causes of GAD are inherited.
Anxiety is one of the most common reasons that cause people to seek psychotherapy. Scientific research has shown that anxiety is related to inaccurate thinking.
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Stress and worry are significant contributors to heart disease. Finding ways to reduce stress and worry can cut the risk of heart attack or stroke by as much as 60 percent, according to research findings.
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Psychological stress, be it depression or anxiety, has been linked to the progression of atherosclerosis, development of atherothrombosis, and increased risk of arrhythmias.
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It has been found that the role of anxiety in hiking heart attack risk goes beyond the effects of depression, anger, hostility, Type A behavior and other negative emotions. Researchers have found that older men with sustained and pervasive anxiety appear to be at increased risk for a heart attack even after their levels of depression, anger, hostility and Type A behavior are considered.
To combat worry, start by identifying how real the source of your worry is. Talking to someone about your fears or concerns can help differentiate between the products of your imagination and those things truly deserving of worry.
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Make a plan for dealing with the cause of your worry and carry it through. However, if there is nothing you can do about the source of your worry, you need to let it go. Worrying about something beyond your control will only produce harmful, not positive results.
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Switch gears. Think of something which you have control of or engage in an enjoyable activity. The goal is to stop the worry before it has the opportunity to take control of emotions and thoughts. Learn relaxation techniques.
Sources Cited: Healthwise, Science Daily, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Daily News Central, Healing Well, National Institute of Mental Health, Psych Central, Center for Cognitive Therapy, and Washington and Shady Grove Adventist Hospitals. The Health Tip of the Week is for educational purposes only. For additional information, consult your physician. Please feel free to copy and distribute this health resource.