Generalised Anxiety Disorder or known as GAD for short has an impact on many people and is a known common mental health condition, characteristics of this condition include persistent and excessive worrying about a variety of different things such as everyday challenges through work, personal and professional relationships as well as money worries. People who suffer from Gad quite often suffer from intense anxiety as well as unfounded fears that can interfere with their everyday living as well as relationships with others.
Symptoms of Generalised Anxiety Disorder.
The symptoms of Generalised Anxiety Disorder can vary from person to person but typically include feelings of restlessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, and fatigue. People with GAD may also experience physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach upset, and sweating. These symptoms can manifest on a regular basis, and they can be severe enough to interfere with everyday living.
One characteristic of GAD and anxiety, in general, is catastrophising. Catastrophising is looking to the future from a catastrophic perspective, thereby imagining vividly what could go wrong or be unpleasant or dangerous in future situations.
The Causes of GAD.
The causes of GAD are often a combination of factors; genetic, environmental, and psychological. People with a family history of anxiety disorders, traumatic life experiences, ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) or chronic stress are at increased risk of developing GAD.
Treatment.
Treatment for Generalised Anxiety Disorder typically involves a combination of medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes. Antidepressant medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are often used to help manage symptoms of anxiety. Therapy, such as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), hypnosis, mindfulness and talking therapies can also be effective in helping people with GAD not only learn coping strategies to manage their anxiety but also address the root cause. Regular counselling can make a vast improvement in overcoming this condition as well as alleviating the symptoms that impact the sufferer as well as improving their overall well-being.
Additional Treatment.
In addition to medication and therapy, lifestyle changes such as exercise, relaxation techniques, and stress management can also be helpful in managing symptoms of GAD. People with GAD may also benefit from making changes to their diet and sleep habits.
How We Can Help.
At the Healthful Mind Clinic & Wellbeing Centre, we understand the many physical and psychological aspects of anxiety and GAD, therefore we offer both psychological and complementary therapies that can help you to address the symptoms and causes. We also understand that taking the first step to getting that help can be scary, so we aim to make it as simple and supportive as possible.
Should you feel that you are suffering from this, then the first step would be to get in touch with us via our contact form HERE or to call us on 01202 929941. Alexa or a member of our team will then book you in for a no-obligation free introductory consultation. This will give you the opportunity to discuss in confidence, what your individual situation is and how we can help.