VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: lek. Tomasz Nęcki

Generalized anxiety disorder (generalized anxiety disorder) is one of the most common mental disorders in patients. The essence of this problem is the presence of constant anxiety in people suffering from it, which is related, among others, to with increased muscle tension, irritability and sleep disorders. What are the causes of generalized anxiety disorder, who is most at risk of developing it, and what is the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder based on?

Generalized anxiety disorder(generalized anxiety disorder, GAD for short) is a constant feeling, for no apparent reason, of varying degrees of anxiety. This does not mean that every fear can be treated as a generalized fear.

Worrying - especially when we encounter some extremely difficult events in life - is quite an ordinary occurrence in human life. When there is a reason for it, no one is surprised by the feeling of anxiety or various fears.

Generalized anxiety disorder can develop in a patient of any age, both in a child and in an adult, but most often the problem begins in early adulthood. It may appear in representatives of both sexes, but women are much more likely to struggle with it - according to statistics, generalized anxiety disorders in representatives of the fair sex are encountered even twice as often as in men.

It is worth adding here that the generalized anxiety disorder is considered to be one of the most common specific disorders - it is estimated that up to 4% of the population experience the problem throughout their lives.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Causes

As with many other mental disorders, there is no single factor that could lead to generalized anxiety disorder. It is generally recognized that their development is influenced by both genetics and certain environmental factors.

The role of genes in the pathogenesis of generalized anxiety disorder is mentioned due to the observations made so far, according to which people whose relatives struggled with some anxiety disorders orwith generalized anxiety disorder, they have an increased risk that a similar problem will also appear in them.

It is worth adding that in people predisposed to generalized anxiety disorder, the development of an individual may occur especially when an extremely stressful event occurs in their life, such as, for example, job loss or the death of a very close person.

According to some researchers, the cause of generalized anxiety disorder may be abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters, including serotonin or noradrenaline - in the structures of the nervous system. These theories may be confirmed by the fact that drugs that affect the levels of neurotransmitters, at least in some of the people with this condition, bring improvement in reducing the severity of its symptoms.

It is noticeable that in some groups the generalized anxiety disorder occurs with an increased frequency. Such people can be, among others single people (e.g. widows), patients with a difficult financial situation and people with low professional qualifications.

Substance abuse may also be associated with generalized anxiety disorder. This type of neurotic disorders can be conducive to, among others addiction to benzodiazepines, alcohol or drugs (it is worth adding here, however, that the symptoms of anxiety occurring in the period of abstinence from long-term psychoactive substances cannot be considered episodes of generalized anxiety disorders).

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Symptoms

Generalized anxiety disorders are closely related primarily to anxiety, which is defined as free-flowing anxiety - it can appear completely regardless of what the patient is doing at the moment and it is usually definitely unjustified.

Patients' fears may pertain to various aspects, they may, for example, financial aspects, he alth of themselves and their family members, but also whether they prove themselves in their work and whether the relationship they are in is certainly a happy relationship. Overall, it can be summed up very simply: a patient with generalized anxiety disorder may be worried all the time and in fact.

Possible symptoms of generalized syndrome include not only constant fears and anxiety - among other ailments that may appear in patients with this unit, the following can be mentioned:

  • severe irritability
  • feeling of increased muscle tension
  • sleep disturbance (usually in the form of insomnia)
  • feeling of constant fatigue
  • difficulty focusing attention

Generalized anxiety disorders are also related to andwith various ailments of a somatic nature. Patients may complain of shortness of breath, chest pain or nausea, as well as dizziness, muscle pain, palpitations and excessive dry mouth.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Recognizing

Basically, there is little doubt that the diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder is made by psychiatrists. The diagnosis is made after taking an interview and conducting a psychiatric examination, during which it is possible to state that the patient has typical symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.

It is worth mentioning here that even if the patient himself suspects the unit described here, it is still necessary to conduct a full psychiatric examination.

Generalized anxiety disorder often coexists with other psychiatric entities, such as, for example, depressive disorders. The finding of the coexistence of generalized anxiety disorder with some other entity is extremely important, as it may have an impact on the choice of treatment that is appropriate for a given patient.

It is necessary to note here that when a patient is struggling with ailments corresponding to generalized anxiety disorders, the psychiatrist is not necessarily the only specialist to whom he should go.

In practice, similar symptoms may appear in the case of various diseases with a definitely different background, because in the course of thyroid disorders or cardiovascular diseases (such as, for example, cardiac arrhythmias or heart failure), but also in connection with menopause . Therefore, when the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder appear suddenly, it is beneficial to perform at least basic laboratory tests.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Treatment

In general, two methods are used in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Some patients would prefer to use only the appropriate pharmaceuticals, but in practice it should be emphasized with full force that the best results are definitely achieved when using pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy.

Various types of therapeutic interactions may help patients with generalized anxiety disorders, but most often, in this case, cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy is recommended.

Pharmacotherapy of generalized anxiety disorders is based on the patient's use of antidepressants, which may not only improve the mood, but also have an anxiolytic effect.

Usually medicationthe first choice are preparations from the group of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as, for example, sertraline, escitalopram or paroxetine. In addition to them, agents belonging to the group of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, such as duloxetine and venlafaxine, are also often used.

In addition to the drugs already mentioned, sometimes other types of preparations are also used in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorders. Such are, among others buspirone, pregabalin, gabapentin, propranolol, and tricyclic antidepressants (e.g. clompyramine) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (e.g. moclobemide).

It is worth mentioning here that from the moment of starting the use of antidepressants to the appearance of the effects of their taking, a certain time, usually reaching several weeks, passes. In people who have very severe symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, short-term treatment with benzodiazepine preparations may be implemented. However, drugs of this type should be taken as short as possible, because taking them for too long is associated with the risk of addiction.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: prognosis

Fortunately, the prognosis of patients with generalized anxiety disorder is good. Thanks to pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy and lifestyle modifications (including increasing the intensity of physical activity, avoiding stress) in most people struggling with this problem, it is possible to partially or even completely resolve the symptoms associated with this unit.

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Category:

Psychiatry