Female: Everyone experiences some stress in their life. How can you tell if what you are experiencing is just regular stress or if it is general anxiety disorder?
Male: What differentiates generalized anxiety disorder from normal stress is an excessive, exaggerated worry about everyday life events. People with generalized anxiety disorder are anxious in a way that is out of proportion it was happening. If someone has a GAD, a constant stat of worry and dread comes to dominate that person’s thinking. So much so, that it interferes with regular daily functions like work, school and relationships.
Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder can be similar to stress, but more intense. Some key symptoms of GAD include excessive ongoing worry, restlessness, irritability, muscle tension and headaches. Most sufferers also experience difficulty concentrating and have trouble sleeping. About 10 million adult Americans suffer from GAD during the course of a year. It most often begins in childhood or adolescence, but can begin adulthood and is more common in women than in men. Most people who have had GAD are like to experience it again. The accept course of generalized anxiety disorder is not fully known, but the number of factors appear to contribute to its development. Research suggests that family history plays a part in whether a person will develop GAD. This means that the tendency to develop GAD maybe passed on in families. GAD has also been associated with abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are special chemical messengers that help move information from nerve cell to nerve cell. Even though transmitters are out of balance, messages cannot get through the brain properly, which can lead to anxiety. As well, trauma and stressful events like the death of a love one, divorce or change in jobs may lead to GAD and symptoms of GAD often becomes worst during periods of stress.
A diagnosis of GAD is based on the intensity and duration of anxiety symptoms and on whether those symptoms interfere with normal daily functioning. GAD is diagnosed if symptoms are present for more days than not during a period of at least six months. If you think you might be suffering from GAD, contact a health professional.
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