Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder or anxiety is an uncontrollable and excessive feeling of worry or anxiety about many things.
There are various signs, ranging from excessive sweating, faster heartbeat, and difficulty breathing.
This condition of excessive anxiety can happen to anyone but is more common in adults aged 30 years and over.
The majority of sufferers find it difficult to express the reasons why they feel excessively worried or anxious.
If not treated immediately, this mental health disorder will gradually cause sufferers to withdraw from all forms of social interaction and daily activities.
Risk Factors for Anxiety Disorders
Psychiatrists suspect this condition is due to a combination of factors, for example:
- Have experienced trauma, for example, domestic violence (KDRT) and bullying.
- There is excessive activity in the part of the brain that controls emotions and behavior.
- An imbalance of serotonin and noradrenaline compounds in the brain of sufferers.
- Having a close relative with generalized anxiety disorder increases your risk of developing the condition five times.
- Female, due to the influence of biological conditions that occur throughout her life.
- Ever used illegal drugs or consumed alcohol?
Apart from adults, generalized anxiety disorder is also prone to targeting teenagers, especially women.
Causes of Anxiety Disorder
You may be wondering, what causes anxiety disorders?
Unfortunately, until now the cause of generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD) is still uncertain.
Some factors that can trigger anxiety are:
- Excessive activity in areas of the brain involved in regulating emotions and behavior.
- An imbalance of brain chemicals, namely serotonin and noradrenaline, which are involved in controlling and regulating mood.
- Genetic factors, family history can also increase the risk of the disorder.
- Having a history of experiencing traumatic or stressful events, such as domestic violence (DV) or child abuse.
- Having a long-term medical condition, such as arthritis.
- Have a history of alcohol or drug addiction.
Characteristics of Anxiety Disorder
Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder are actually a form or combination of symptoms of several other mental disorders, such as:
- Panic disorder.
- Phobias, such as agoraphobia or claustrophobia.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Social anxiety disorder or social phobia.
However, people with anxiety are always anxious in various situations and conditions.
Sufferers can feel anxious almost every day and often have difficulty remembering when they felt relaxed.
Often Considered Similar, Know the Differences Between Anxiety Disorder and Panic Attack Below.
When one worry is resolved, another one will emerge as a new problem.
Not only that, generalized anxiety disorder can trigger other symptoms, both mental and physical, for example:
- Feeling worried and restless.
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
- Get angry easily.
- Dizzy, tired, and shaky.
- Heart palpitations.
- Muscle pain, abdominal pain, and headache.
- Excessive sweating.
- Hard to breathe.
- Feeling sick.
If you experience the above symptoms, immediately contact an expert to get proper treatment.
Types of Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorder consists of several types, among others:
1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by a feeling of anxiety or worry that is widespread without a specific reason, such as excessive fear of health, work, or small things like social interactions.
This anxiety occurs almost every day for more than six months, interfering with the ability to interact and carry out daily activities.
People with GAD also often experience physical symptoms such as tension, headaches, nausea, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, shortness of breath, and fatigue.
2. Phobia
Phobias are anxiety disorders characterized by extreme fear of objects or situations that are not actually dangerous, such as fear of the dark, hole patterns, certain foods, or colors.
People with phobias tend to avoid their phobia triggers, and if they have to face them, they will suffer greatly.
Reactions to phobias can be excessive, such as running aimlessly or hiding. At its peak, phobias can cause heart palpitations, cold sweats, and even fainting.
3. Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is an intense fear of social situations due to fear of being judged by others.
This anxiety is often triggered by fear of saying the wrong thing, being looked down upon, or being embarrassed in public. Sufferers tend to avoid eye contact and look away when communicating.
4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that occurs after experiencing a traumatic event, such as being the victim of a crime or being caught in a life-threatening situation.
People with PTSD are usually always alert and feel threatened, such as those who have been in conflict areas, and are afraid when they see military uniforms.
5. Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is characterized by panic attacks that come suddenly without any clear cause, which can occur anywhere and at any time.
Symptoms include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, cold sweats, weakness, shaking, nausea, and dark vision.
Due to its unpredictable nature, people with panic disorder often withdraw from social life and prefer to isolate themselves.
6. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by persistent obsessive thoughts and repetitive actions to relieve them, such as washing hands repeatedly due to concerns about cleanliness.
People with OCD tend to organize everything according to patterns that are considered correct. This disorder is often experienced in developed countries and is more often found in young people.
Even though people with OCD are aware of their condition, the disorder is difficult to control and often recurs, and can be accompanied by other conditions such as bipolar or depression.
Diagnosis of Anxiety Disorder
It is not easy to diagnose generalized anxiety disorder.
Because the symptoms are similar to other mental disorders, one of which is panic disorder.
Therefore, many experts use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria to diagnose anxiety disorders, which include:
- Feelings of excessive worry and anxiety that occur all the time for approximately 6 months.
- Unable to control feelings of anxiety that occur.
- Symptoms can result in disrupted activities.
- Complaints are not based on any specific medical problem or condition.
Not only that, these feelings of fear and anxiety usually occur together with at least three of the following signs and symptoms.
- Feeling unmotivated and restless.
- An exhausted body.
- Becoming more irritable.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Increased muscle tension.
- Having trouble sleeping, including sleeping too much or having trouble falling asleep.
If the doctor suspects another medical condition, the patient will be asked to undergo several supporting medical examinations, such as blood or urine tests.
Check Your Mental Health Condition with This Feature
You can do simple tests independently on Halodoc if you feel signs of mental health problems.
Well, here are some mental health tests you can try:
Stress Check
This is a simple test to measure the level of stress you feel due to your busy daily activities.
Depression Test
This test can measure the level of depression you are experiencing. This test is short and scientifically valid and has been used by health workers.
In this test there are 9 questions using a scale of 0 to 3 to calculate the final score.
Don’t worry, your scores are confidential, and mental health professionals can only see your information if you share it.
Anxiety Disorder Test
This is an anxiety disorder test with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 test.
This test is a short and scientifically valid test, and has been used by health workers.
In this test there are 7 questions using a scale of 0 to 3 to calculate the final score.
Don’t worry, your scores are confidential and mental health professionals can only see your information if you share it.
Remember, don’t self-diagnose the condition you are experiencing.
You can try the test above or contact a recommended psychiatrist/psychologist at Halodoc to get a more accurate explanation.
Anxiety Disorder Treatment
What to do if you have an anxiety disorder?
There are several ways that can be taken as steps to treat anxiety disorders.
Medication and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are the two most common methods for treating anxiety.
Doctors can combine the two according to the patient’s needs.
1. Medicine
Doctors can prescribe several types of medications to reduce symptoms. These types of medications include:
• Antidepressants
The doctor will prescribe antidepressant drugs in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class to help increase serotonin levels in the brain.
Meanwhile, the doctor will prescribe serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) drugs to help increase serotonin and noradrenaline levels in the brain.
There are several types of antidepressant drugs that are commonly prescribed by doctors. Read in this article: “ When Does Someone Need to Take Antidepressants? “.
• Pregabalin
Pregabalin is a drug that doctors use to treat neuropathic pain and seizures for epilepsy. However, it can also relieve symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.
• Benzodiazepine
Next, benzodiazepine drugs are included in the group of sedatives.
Usually, doctors will prescribe this drug to people with severe generalized anxiety disorder.
The goal is to help relieve symptoms that appear in a shorter time.
Want to know what are the recommended medications to treat anxiety disorders?
2. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
The next option is cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. Its function is to help sufferers recognize and change thoughts and behaviors that trigger anxiety.
This therapy helps sufferers to no longer have negative thoughts and to be able to think rationally.
At least, it takes about 1 hour every week to do 1 CBT therapy session for approximately 3-4 months.
When undergoing therapy, a psychologist or psychiatrist will teach relaxation methods so that sufferers can be calmer when facing conditions that can trigger feelings of anxiety.
3. Lifestyle changes
In addition, you can also make lifestyle changes as part of symptom management, such as:
- Stay physically active. Create a routine of being physically active every day of the week. Exercise is a powerful stress reliever and can improve your mood while keeping your body healthy.
- Make sleep a priority. People with generalized anxiety disorder need to make sure they get enough restful sleep. If you are not able to sleep well, see a doctor for proper medical advice.
- Practice relaxation techniques. Visualization, meditation, and yoga are examples of relaxation techniques that can relieve anxiety.
- Eat healthy foods. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish can reduce the level of anxiety in the mind. However, further research is needed on this matter.
- Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs. These substances can worsen anxiety.
- Quit smoking and drinking coffee. Both nicotine and caffeine can worsen anxiety.
Complications Due to Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorders can cause complications that affect daily activities and reduce quality of life.
Worse still, untreated generalized anxiety disorder can also cause or even worsen other physical health conditions, such as:
- Digestive or intestinal problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome or ulcers.
- Headaches and migraines.
- Having a chronic illness.
- Sleep problems and insomnia.
- Heart health disorders.
Meanwhile, generalized anxiety disorder often occurs alongside other mental health issues, which can make diagnosis and treatment more challenging.
Some mental health disorders that commonly occur with generalized anxiety disorder include:
- Phobia.
- Panic attacks or disorders.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- Increased risk of depression.
- The emergence of suicidal thoughts or suicide.
- Abuse of certain substances.
How to Prevent Anxiety Disorders
Generalized anxiety disorder is unpredictable and difficult to prevent directly.
However, you can try the following methods to reduce the impact of symptoms if you experience anxiety:
- Seek help as soon as possible. Treating anxiety disorders, like many other mental health conditions, can be made more difficult if the sufferer delays seeking help.
- Keep a journal. Understanding your personal life can help a person and a mental health professional identify what causes anxiety and what seems to help the person feel better.
- Prioritize your life’s problems. You can reduce anxiety by managing your time and energy carefully.
- Avoid unhealthy substance use. Use of alcohol, drugs, and nicotine or caffeine can cause or worsen anxiety.
- Do regular relaxation exercises, such as yoga, meditation, or tai chi. In addition, you can also do Grounding Techniques that Can Reduce Feelings of Anxiety and Panic.
- Doing a hobby or relaxing activity. For example, playing music, gardening, knitting, or painting.