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Dealing with Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Understanding, Managing, and Treating Excessive Worry

This disorder involves excessive, uncontrollable worry about daily matters, causing physical symptoms and affecting daily life. Learn about its prevalence, potential causes, and treatment options like cognitive behavior therapy and SSRIs.

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Dealing with Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Understanding, Managing, and Treating Excessive Worry

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  1. Disorder of the Day Category: Anxiety Disorders Source: DSM-IV TR

  2. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) • Characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about everyday things • Interferes with daily functioning • Typically anticipate disaster, and are overly concerned about everyday matters such as health issues, money, death, relationship problems, etc.

  3. Physical symptoms • Often exhibit a variety of physical symptoms (must be present for 6 months) • Fatigue • Fidgeting • Headaches • Nausea • Numbness in hands and feet • Muscle tension • Muscle aches • Difficulty swallowing • Difficulty concentrating • Twitching • Irritability • Insomnia • Hot flashes • Rashes

  4. Prevalence • 6.8 million America adults suffer from GAD • 55 to 60 percent are women • 2 to 3 times more likely in women • Average age is 31

  5. Potential causes • May run in families (genetic) • May be substance induced (benzodiazepines and alcohol) • Neurology – may not process fear and anxiety correctly

  6. Treatment • Cognitive behavior therapy (learning perspective) • Therapist works with patient to understand how thoughts and feelings influence behavior • May include exposure strategies • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

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