Generalized Anxiety: living in continuous worry.

A summary of the characteristics of this anxiety-based psychological disorder.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by the presence of constant worry and anxiety for no apparent reason. Unlike other types of anxiety, the causes are not easily identified.

In this article we will see what is Generalized Anxiety Disorderand how to recognize it.

What is Generalized Anxiety?

The Generalized Anxiety presents a different pattern in the habits and daily routines of the people.It is present in work, family, academic, health, social, etc. It arises with the manifestation of an excessive preoccupation that maximizes the importance of the problems and makes us see serious problems when analyzing any situation that other people would consider normal, giving more weight to the event than it really has.

It is possible that the symptoms are explained by the influence of some medication, by the consumption of drugs or specific drugs, as medication to some physical illness. In this case Generalized Anxiety Disorder is not diagnosed. Often Generalized Anxiety is present in other mood disorders.

Constant worry

Worry is the uneasiness that one has about a certain circumstance.. For example, you may be worried about the month's payments and expenses, getting a better job, passing an exam in college, etc.

However, worry becomes pathological when it affects the well-being of the individual. and the ability to manage unforeseen events, and even more so to prepare for them. It is a discomfort that is accompanied by physical and emotional manifestations that are disproportionate to the magnitude of the problem being faced.

That is to say, you can be worried about things of the daily routine, but if you only make catastrophic prognoses and the restlessness torments, the anxiety overflows and turns out to be pathological.

When anxiety is pathological, the responses are exaggerated and its effects have greater intensity and duration, attention is focused on the fear of the consequences rather than on the threat itself.. There is an unreal pressure where problems are maximized and the ability to solve them is blocked, because anxiety affects the ability to reason and the use of tools to cope with situations. Pathological anxiety is present in all anxiety disorders.

Symptoms

Some of the most frequent symptoms of Generalized Anxiety are:: - Generalized anxiety are:

• Constant restlessness.
• Irritability.
• Muscle tension.
• Fatigue.
• Difficulty to concentrate.
• Sleep disorders.
• Social impairment in interpersonal relationships in all areas of development of the person.
• Depersonalization.
• Fear of losing control.

And the most common physical symptoms are:

• Palpitations.
• Sweating.
• Tachycardia sensation of suffocation.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Nausea.
• chills
• difficulty relaxing

These symptoms make it difficult for the person to perform normal life activities. The symptoms present themselves in different ways for each individual.What remains the same for everyone is that Generalized Anxiety is a way of interacting with the world and interpreting it from an anxious point of view, which is not related to any particular fear as in phobias or panic disorders, but is present in all the scenarios of our lives.

Causes

The causes of appearance of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder can be traumatic experiences, personality factors, genetic predisposition to stress or the environment where we develop. where we develop. However, objective estimates of the causes will depend on each person.

In some cases personality characteristics such as dependence influence the onset of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, since dependence requires the approval of others in order to make decisions and for decision making and difficulties arise to assume responsibilities on their own, which result in anxiety.

Therefore, it is important to to identify all the aspects involved in order to determine the origin of the diagnosis and if it is only Generalized Anxiety and if it is only Generalized Anxiety, since in most cases it is associated with other disorders.

Adaptive anxiety

Anxiety is an adaptive behavior is an adaptive behavior and is activated when we perceive danger or threat.The reaction generates an effect in our body and mind that predisposes us to adapt to challenges.

It is natural for us to be on alert when we experience a situation that is not optimal, even if it does not involve danger. For example, when crossing the street we are alert to the vehicles around us; but this should not produce other symptoms that aggravate and maximize a routine situation.

It should be natural for us to be able to face new or unfamiliar situations where we make an analysis that contributes to better manage worry and nervousness to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Conversely, if you are suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, you will be constantly feeling fearful during the performance of your normal daily activities, you will worry excessively and you will present withYou will worry excessively and you will present the physical symptoms mentioned above.

Psychotherapy

If you present frequent symptoms of anxiety and you feel that they prevent you from carrying out activities and impair your interactions in different areas of life, this means that you are presenting characteristics of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, so you should consult a psychologist, who can give you therapeutic tools to learn to regulate your anxiety.