Anxiety Disorder
Manu Vega
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, what will further be referred to as GAD in this article, is an illness that people should be educated more about. It is common to have it can have a huge impact on someone’s life in a very negative way. By the end of this article, you should be more aware of GAD and how it can impact someone’s life due to its symptoms, and you also will be made aware of some ways you can relieve anxiety or how to get help.
If you feel you need clinical assistance with your mental health, help may be offered to you through your healthcare provider, and you should reach out to them immediately if you feel threatened. Do not be ashamed to ask for help, that’s what the doctors are there for, to help you live your best life.
What GAD Is And Its Symptoms
If you are not aware quite of what GAD is and how it can impact someone who suffers from it, I can answer that question for you right here and now. There are so many factors and symptoms that play into GAD. If you want to know what some of the possible symptoms for GAD are, here is a list from BetterHealth Channel to better explain them for you,
Physical signs of anxiety may include:
pounding or racing heart
excessive sweating
muscle tension
restlessness or agitation
dizziness and vertigo
shortness of breath or choking sensations
insomnia
panic attacks.
Emotional signs of anxiety may include:
frequent worry about what could go wrong
feelings of dread
concentration problems
avoidance
catastrophic thinking
irritability or edginess
being overly vigilant toward danger
absentmindedness
fear of losing control.
These are serious and difficult symptoms to experience, especially if you have to deal with them on the daily or frequently. If you resonate with some of those symptoms listed above, many, or all of these physical or emotional symptoms, you might have GAD. It might be beneficial to have a conversation with your doctor if they also feel you could possibly have GAD and if you experience symptoms like these which make your life harder to live and enjoy. Your trusted professional will know what to do from there and can offer you advice.
The first step of receiving help is having the recognition that you may need help. You can take the first step in getting the help you need. After recognizing that you do need help, then you will be able to move on to the next step which is the process of trying to seek it by talking to someone you trust. If GAD really is a common illness that can hurt you, just how common is it to have GAD?
The Commonality
GAD is something that affects a lot more people than one might initially believe. Educating yourself about the illnesses that exist is important so that you can be aware to better your ability to empathize with those who have them. It is especially important to be educated though with the common illnesses as you will probably meet more people who have them. Unlike some people believe, mental health disorders are not some “rare sort of illness” and studies have shown that they are probably more common in us or others around us than we would think. Happiful.com says,
In fact, one in six people report experiencing a common mental health problem, like anxiety and depression, in any given week. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), phobias, and eating disorders, are other anxiety or related disorders that many people live with on a daily basis.
One is six is a good amount of people. This is exactly why education about mental health is important and it is vital that we try and do our best to educate ourselves and others surrounding the disorders and their symptoms. Having any kind of disorder, but especially a mental disorder, is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed about. Unfortunately, there is still a good amount of stigma surrounding mental health issues and illnesses. However, there is more education and positivity surrounding getting help in our ever-changing and developing world which is lessening the stigma every day. So what can be done to help those suffering from a mental disorder such as GAD? No need to be scared, there are many different options that you can choose which may help manage your GAD.
Forms Of Treatments
Just as everyone is their own individual person, so is the treatment that works for them when it comes to GAD and mental health disorders. Not every treatment is for everyone and sometimes a combination of different methods is needed to help. Some treatments must be tailored to the persons needs or illness in order to work in the most effective fashion. There are things that you can do at home which can help you manage your GAD such as exercising, sleeping the proper amount each night, having a good diet, creating time to relax, refraining from consuming alcohol and drugs, etc. However, if you need some more professional help, you can talk to your health care professional about what Mayo Clinic describes well:
The two main treatments for generalized anxiety disorder are psychotherapy and medications. You may benefit most from a combination of the two. It may take some trial and error to discover which treatments work best for you.
Just as the source explained, there may be some trial and error in finding what works best for you if you have GAD. There are various different treatments and practices/life-style changes which can help you have the ability to manage GAD. It might take some time to find the right treatment that is best for you, but it will be worth it in the end as you can feel some relief. The sooner you try and reach out to your provider about receiving help, the sooner you will be able to start the process of managing your GAD.
Conclusion
Once again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having to ask for help or having any sort of mental illness or mental health issue that takes a large toll on your life. Just as you would go to see the doctor about having a broken leg, if your mental health requires medical attention and care, you should get it as well. Doctors who specialize in mental health issues exist for a reason: to help you be the best you can be.
You deserve to be healthy and happy in life. Your doctor would want that for you, and you should want that for yourself as well as others. GAD can have a huge impact on your life or on the lives on those you care about. It can even have a potentially bigger impact if you are not diagnosed and/or receiving help for it if you experience its symptoms to the point to where it impacts you multiple times daily. There are many professionals out there who can help you as long as you take the first step and ask for it. Taking that first step might be difficult at the start, but it is indeed beneficial in the long run.
