Jun 12 What Causes Common Anxiety Disorders Anxiety
People who feel overly worried or anxious daily might be suffering from
generalized anxiety disorder or GAD. Symptoms include extreme anxiety
or worry about normal situations.
People who feel overly worried or anxious daily might be suffering from generalized anxiety disorder or GAD. Symptoms include extreme anxiety or worry about normal situations. Around 4 million adult Americans are estimated to suffer from GAD each year.
GAD sufferers are unable to refrain from worrying about common situations and may be disturbed about work and school duties, money matters and family affairs. People afflicted with an anxiety disorder are normally stressed and depressed and may avoid social interactions.
The root cause of this disorder is still unknown to us. Based on doctors and researchers work however, there seems to be several factors that play a role in the development of generalized anxiety disorder. Number one on their list is heredity. It seems that an individual is more likely to suffer from GAD if his or her parents were constant "worriers".
The environment is another factor in the development of GAD. Highly stressful events such as abuse, divorce, death of a loved one, or losing a job can cause intense anxiety, fear or terror. These feelings can worsen or linger on if they are left unaddressed. A person may subconsciously replay these feelings whenever they are stressed, and this just leads to a cycle of anxiety. According to MedicineNet.com, a lot of people make the situation worse by relying on food, nicotine, or caffeine to deal with their negative emotions.
Finally, brain chemistry may play a role in the development of generalized anxiety disorder. People who have anxiety problems typically have abnormal levels of neurotransmitters in the brain, which can effect the types of messages the brain is sending or receiving. This means the person may be experiencing a fear response from only a mildly stressful situation, and will start to link the mildly stressful situation to that negative experience. In reality, the brain is just sending the wrong type of message to the body, so the person perceives what is happening to them in the wrong way.
A healthy lifestyle and sound nutrition can easily balance abnormal neurotransmitter levels. Medicine or natural supplements may be prescribed in serious cases. It is important to take note that GAD is a common disorder; and it affects more women than men.
Although the root cause of GAD is unknown, and therefore cannot be eliminated, we can proactively take measures to reduce its effects. Lifestyle and behavior modification may be our best response to the disorder. We can certainly choose to eat healthy foods, stay fit through regular exercise, get enough rest and manage stress in a healthy way. These things are proven to lessen feelings of worry, fear and anxiety.
If you have ever suffered from anxiety when planning holidays or traveling, there is hope. Successful non-pharmaceutical approaches are emerging to help you to free yourself from the fearful thoughts that can lead to panic attacks.
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