Overview of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

The term exceptionality is used to identify needs of different individuals. There are many different types of exceptionalities, some common ones are generalized anxiety disorder, down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder. All of these define the term exceptionality, because they all have their needs of help, as well as their strengths.

Generalized anxiety disorder is distinguished by excessive, irrational anxiety about common occurrences and situations. GAD is not the normal feeling of anxiousness. GAD controls the mind in ways of stress and worry in and uncontrollable way, when there is no distinct reason to worry. “This excessive, unrealistic worry can be frightening and can interfere with relationships and daily activities”. Anxiety is one of the most common symptoms of all mental health conditions, but there’re many characteristics and symptoms made clear of GAD.

One of the main symptoms to recognize for GAD is a very rapid heartbeat. By having a very rapid heartbeat, it can be caused by excessive amounts of stress and worry. Another one of the big characteristics of GAD, is the ability to overthink scenarios in the worst possible outcomes. Along with overthinking brings on the inability to relax and be restless. GAD has many other characteristics such as trembling, nausea, irritability, nervousness, and sweating. GAD has the ability for the worrisome feeling to consume the body leaving a great sorrow and emptiness.

The pathway to diagnosis for GAD could happen in many ways. The first step to being diagnosed, is meeting with a doctor or mental health professional. One way a doctor or mental health professional could possibly diagnose is by doing a physical exam. By doing a physical exam they would be looking for signs as to what is triggering your anxiety. A doctor or mental health professional may also ask psychological questions to help them determine a diagnosis, or reasoning for the anxiety. Once the diagnosis is clear, there is many medications that help hinder the anxiety such as antidepressants and benzodiazepines. Therefore, another anxiety relief is psychotherapy. By talking to a therapist, they can help reduce stress levels and anxiety symptoms from everyday life.

GAD does not only affect the individual in many ways, but it also affects family and the people around. When an individual is diagnosed with GAD, it can consume them in negative ways, which can lead to depression or suicidal thoughts. When an individual is feeling this way, it can have a difficult impact on family and friends. Some family or friends may not completely understand how the individual is feeling, and this can lead to impairments within the relationships. This can be caused by the individual not knowing how to express themselves fully, therefore miscommunication can occur. By one individual suffering from GAD, it can create stress for others around them, by not knowing how to help them or why they are feeling so worrisome.