How to Determine If A Person Has A General Anxiety Disorder

Feeling restless, constant headaches, general feeling of fatigue, muscle tensions, easily irritated, excessive sweating, muscle pains are just but few of the symptoms of general anxiety disorder.

A number of people around the world today are suffering from General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). According to a recent data in US alone there are an estimated 4 million adults suffering from GAD whose ages range from 18 to 54 years old. The data is applicable on any given year as an average estimate. And female sufferers are twice as much numerous as male sufferers which mean many women suffer from GAD compared to men.

GAD is much more than the usual stress people experience in a day. We all know the usual stress associated by having butterflies in our stomachs just before a big speaking engagement or the tension we feel about the anger of our boss when we did something wrong at work or the nervousness we feel when we know we are close to danger. These are normal reactions of people but for GAD sufferers these anxieties are heightened and become chronic and happens more frequently than normal.

General anxiety disorder is characterized by uncontrollable and excessive worry over things or situations which to a normal person appear irrational and unfounded. And for severe GAD, it usually affect the normal everyday life of the person as the sufferer worries too much and anticipate disasters that are bound to happen to their health, relationship with fellow human beings, work issues, school issues as well as financial concerns. Every little thing becomes a cause for worry and stress for GAD sufferers.

Below are some of the most common symptoms of GAD:
- The excessive anxiety is occurring more frequent and continuously for the past six months.
- Being easily fatigue or tires easily.
- Always on the verge of blowing-up or has a tendency to be always on the edge.
- Easily irritated even at the slightest and simplest instances.
- Experiences muscle tensions and muscle aches.
- Inability to focus or concentrate.
- Startles more easily than normal.
- Constant feeling of being nauseated or the urge to vomit and goes to the bathroom frequently.
- Restlessness and inability to have complete and relaxing sleep.

According to experts, the above symptoms especially the six month continuous episodes can already be considered for a person to be labeled as a GAD sufferer. For children however, only one of the above symptoms will be enough to diagnose the child as a General Anxiety Disorder sufferer.

Some cases of GAD can be hereditary and may run from generation to generation. The symptoms may appear as early as childhood or as late as the adult stage. GAD manifesting in adults can be traced to some life stressors like pressures from work, family, school and even professional or personal relationships. In these cases, GAD may grow worse because of these stresses.

Commonly, symptoms of GAD can co-exist also with substance abuse, depression and other types of anxiety disorders. Only health care professionals are qualified to determine if the person is really suffering from General Anxiety Disorder.

If you suspect that a person has symptoms of GAD, it is best to check and consult first with your medical doctor or your family physician. Self-medication instead of helping cure the disorder can in all probability worsen the situation as only experts in mental health will know what to do in these cases.

Qualified health care professionals are the partners of GAD sufferers in their objective of finding a cure. These professionals can include psychologists, counselors and social workers. Treatment of generalized anxiety disorders can include medication and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Living everything to chance and having the disorder left unchecked for quite sometime may prove disadvantageous to the sufferer as these can aggravate the situation. Thus, it is always better to check with qualified health care professionals first.