Wet Pluto

General anxiety disorder, also referred to as GAD, is a feeling of constant fear that rests in one’s mind. It is an ongoing feeling of worry, of impending doom and upsets the daily life of the victim. People suffering from this disorder worry about most things whether social, political, environmental, athletic, academic or artistic.

A free-floating anxiety or apprehension generally characterizes this condition. It need not be associated to a specific cause or situation, but people eventually inculcate the habit of worrying without any reason. People with this disorder live with a constant fear of failure, even if they have been successful in the past. They don’t mind going great lengths to perfect everything they are involved in. Adolescents with this disorder constantly yearn for praise, as they are pretty uncertain and insecure about themselves. They develop a very pessimistic outlook towards life. A person suffering from GAD often has chronic, recurrent episodes of anxiety that last for several days, weeks or even months.

This disorder is a little more common among females as compared to males, and is found to occur in about 2 to 3 per cent of the general population.

A number of reasons can be listed for GAD. Some people are genetically prone to developing it. Other factors include a traumatic and disturbed childhood, stressful life events like a job change, a move, and death of a beloved, marital spat or separations. Heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, nausea, easy fatigue, restlessness or feeling edgy, irritability, erratic sleep patterns and disturbances, muscle tension and difficulty in concentrating are some of the vital symptoms. The best way to deal with GAD is to consult a physician, who will thoroughly diagnose a patient’s condition based on the description of the various symptoms. Certain medical conditions may also trigger these symptoms including substance abuse, heart disorders, thyroid disease, hypoglycemia or conditions such as depressive disorders. The patient may be given tranquilizers, antidepressant drugs along with psychotherapy (both psycho-dynamically oriented as well as cognitive behavioral psychotherapy). A number of techniques such as relaxation exercise, breathing exercises and distraction exercises have proved quite effective in treating GAD.