When a patient is diagnosed with GAD there should be many points of optimism and the diagnosis is the first step in treating the disease. Although the symptoms of the disorder can be serious, there are many treatment options available that can alleviate these symptoms quickly. One of the fastest acting treatments is through medication. There are drugs available that can quickly provide relief for suffers of GAD. When these are coupled with counseling and occupational therapies a comprehensive treatment plan can offer the patient the ability to cope with the disorder.
Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Nearly everyone deals with anxiety at some point in their lives. Anxiety is a natural response to many external stimuli and can actually be beneficial in many ways. However, there is a point in which anxiety can reach a level in which it is no longer a normal experience and can be overwhelming to an individual's life. This is how one individual explained the condition (National Institute of Mental Health, N.d.):
"I always thought I was just a worrier. I'd feel keyed up and unable to relax. At times it would come and go, and at times it would be constant. It could go on for days. I'd worry about what I was going to fix for a dinner party, or what would be a great present for somebody. I just couldn't let something go."
People with GAD cannot seem to get rid of their concerns about problems in their lives and tend to overreact to various environmental stressors. As a result, these people never feel relaxed and have problems coping with an array of situations. The physical symptoms may include problems such as fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, having to go to the bathroom frequently, feeling out of breath, and hot flashes (National Institute of Mental Health, N.d.).
The causes of this disorder are not completely understood. However, there are a number of factors that are considered to be relevant to the onset of GAD including genetics, brain chemistry, and environmental stresses (WebMD, N.d.). The average onset is noted as coming just after an adult reaches thirty. A doctor can screen for GAD or other anxiety disorders by asking a series of questions pertaining to how a person is able or unable to cope with stress. Generally, if the symptoms are more common than not in any six-month period then a doctor can make a determination for a diagnosis of the disorder. It is estimated that roughly four million people in the U.S. suffer from GAD in the course of any given year.
II. Medications
There are a variety of different medications that can be prescribed for GAD. However, medications aren't generally recommended unless the symptoms of the disorder are serious and significantly interfere with the patient's daily life. The most popular types of medication prescribed for GAD are antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Antidepressants are usually used to treat depression but they also can be used for anxiety.
The most common drug used to treat serious anxiety is known as anxiolytics and include drugs in the benzodiazepine family. The effects of these drugs anxiety are felt almost immediately, but they have a high potential for physical and psychological addiction. The withdrawal symptoms from this class of drug can be quite dangerous, sometimes even deadly, if the medication is stopped suddenly. When a patient quits taking this type of drug then they must taper themselves off of the dosage in a slow and controlled manner to avoid serious side effects.
A relatively new type of drug is known as SSRI and this class of drug is used for a variety of different disorders related to depression and anxiety. These drugs increase the amount of serotonin that is present in the brain which works to change the neurological functioning of mental processes.
III. Functional Limitations
The can be many functional limitations that affect someone that suffers from a generalized anxiety disorder; especially if the condition is severe. A person that suffers from GAD can be demobilized by stress and anxiety. This can cause people to miss out on work and life in general. Anxiety disorders cost the U.S. more than $42 billion a year, almost one-third of the country's $148 billion total mental health bill, according to "The Economic Burden of Anxiety Disorders," a study commissioned by ADAA (ADAA, N.d.). Furthermore, even if a person does not miss work because of anxiety or stress, the disorder is also associated with concentration issues that can diminish the quality of the individual's performance while they are at work.
IV. Treatment intervention
There are many types of treatment interventions that can be used to treat the disorder. In addition to medication, treatments including cognitive behavior therapy and exposure therapy can help with reduce the effects of a disorder. Generally, medication can be used in conjunction with different types of occupation therapies in order to relieve the symptoms of anxiety and help a person cope. Then after coping skills for anxiety are built, it is recommended that the patient attempts to discontinue the medication in a controlled way.
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