4 million (nearly 3%) of the
19 million Americans who suffer from an anxiety disorder are suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Out of the 19 million Americans
who suffer from an anxiety disorder each year, 4 million have been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
is described as a pattern of frequent and persistent worry and anxiety about several different events or activities, which
last for six months or more.
Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety
Disorder include:
- Restlessness
- Feeling
keyed up or "on the edge"
- Difficulty
concentrating
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbance
(difficulty falling or staying asleep; or restless, unsatisfying sleep)
- Being easily
fatigued
According to the DSM “The focus of the anxiety and
worry is not confined to features of an Axis 1 disorder, e.g. the anxiety and worry is not about having a panic attack (as
in Panic Disorder), being embarrassed in public (as in Social Phobia), being contaminated (as in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder),
gaining weight (as in Anorexia Nervosa), having multiple physical complaints (as in Somatization Disorder), or having a serious
illness (such as Hypochondriasis) and the anxiety and worry do not occur exclusively during Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” The DSM also specifies that, “The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological
effects of a substance (e.g. a drug of abuse or medication) or a general medical condition (e.g. Hyperthyroidism) and does
not occur exclusively during a Mood Disorder, Psychotic Disorder, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder.”
In other words; If you are experiencing
anxiety directly related to panic attacks you may want to talk to your doctor about the possibility of panic disorder.
If you have been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder,
it is essential to make relaxation a daily ritual.
