22 Diseases & Their Home Remedies
22 Diseases & Their Home Remedies
Generalised Anxiety Disorder is a psychiatric condition, and is classified in the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental disorders, Fifth Edition) by standardised defining criteria.
Generalised anxiety disorder is one of the commonest mental health concerns worldwide, and it is estimated that a significant number of cases are left undiagnosed.
Patients with GAD present with excessive worry and anxiety in usual day-to-day life activities. This worry interferes with their normal functioning and is often regarded as irrational or out of proportion. The worry affects areas such as health, personal relationships, finances, and career.
Diagnosis of GAD may be difficult to make as it is commonly occurs in conjunction with other mental disorders such as depression. Online and easily accessible tools such as the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaire may assist in the diagnosis.
The average age of diagnosis is around thirty years of age.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder is a psychiatric condition, and is classified in the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental disorders, Fifth Edition) by standardised defining criteria.
Generalised anxiety disorder is one of the commonest mental health concerns worldwide, and it is estimated that a significant number of cases are left undiagnosed.
Patients with GAD present with excessive worry and anxiety in usual day-to-day life activities. This worry interferes with their normal functioning and is often regarded as irrational or out of proportion. The worry affects areas such as health, personal relationships, finances, and career.
Diagnosis of GAD may be difficult to make as it is commonly occurs in conjunction with other mental disorders such as depression. Online and easily accessible tools such as the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaire may assist in the diagnosis.
The average age of diagnosis is around thirty years of age.
According to the DSM-V criteria, a patient with GAD must present with at least three of the symptoms listed below. The symptoms must be present for a minimum of six months, on most days, rather than at irregular intervals.
Symptoms include:
The anxiety or worry must interfere with important areas of functioning such as social or employment spheres. It is important to exclude that the symptoms are not caused by other medical conditions e.g. thyroid function disturbances or by a particular substance or medication.
Patient with GAD may also have other physical manifestations of anxiety, along with those already mentioned. These include:
Generalised Anxiety Disorder is not linked to a specific aetiology, but different risk and associated factors have been identified, with a primary focus on genetics and environmental causes.
Life stressor may trigger anxiety in genetically predisposed individuals. Life stressors include social issues such as isolation, lack of family support and poor self-esteem. Financial stressors such as inadequate income or debt may also contribute.
Women are more often affected than men. GAD is seen less often in married couples or those in long-term relationships, than those without a life-partner.
Personality types may also play a role in developing GAD. Avoidant, dependent and obsessive-compulsive personalities are most commonly associated with anxiety.
Exercise. Cardiovascular exercise is a good way to assist with stress relief, as well as managing symptoms of anxiety
Start practicing specific and directed relaxation techniques to help anxiety
Psychotherapy has been proven to be as beneficial as medication and is of additive benefit to patients who are on treatment.
Lower your caffeine intake. Caffeine is a stimulant that releases sympathomimetics (the same chemical neurotransmitters that are released during anxiety or fear
Along with psychotherapy, treatment of GAD is mainly with anti-depressants. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are used most often. These include escitalopram, fluoxetine and venlafaxine.
SSRIs are started at the lowest possible dose and then increased to the highest dose that alleviates symptoms. Initially, the SSRIs may worsen anxiety, and it is important that patients should be informed about it. Up-tapering of the medication dosage should be slow and controlled, to prevent overwhelming anxiety, and a higher risk of patients defaulting medication.
Often, patients are given benzodiazepines (sedatives) in conjunction with anti-depressants, to assist with the initial worsening of anxiety. Benzodiazepines include lorazepam or alprazolam. It is important that benzodiazepines are only used short term, as they have a high rate of addiction.
Other anti-depressants that can also be used include Buspirone (an azapirone), which works as an agonist of the serotonin receptors in the brain (thus potentiates the action of serotonin).
According to the DSM-V criteria, a patient with GAD must present with at least three of the symptoms listed below. The symptoms must be present for a minimum of six months, on most days, rather than at irregular intervals.
Symptoms include:
The anxiety or worry must interfere with important areas of functioning such as social or employment spheres. It is important to exclude that the symptoms are not caused by other medical conditions e.g. thyroid function disturbances or by a particular substance or medication.
Patient with GAD may also have other physical manifestations of anxiety, along with those already mentioned. These include:
Generalised Anxiety Disorder is not linked to a specific aetiology, but different risk and associated factors have been identified, with a primary focus on genetics and environmental causes.
Life stressor may trigger anxiety in genetically predisposed individuals. Life stressors include social issues such as isolation, lack of family support and poor self-esteem. Financial stressors such as inadequate income or debt may also contribute.
Women are more often affected than men. GAD is seen less often in married couples or those in long-term relationships, than those without a life-partner.
Personality types may also play a role in developing GAD. Avoidant, dependent and obsessive-compulsive personalities are most commonly associated with anxiety.
Exercise. Cardiovascular exercise is a good way to assist with stress relief, as well as managing symptoms of anxiety
Start practicing specific and directed relaxation techniques to help anxiety
Psychotherapy has been proven to be as beneficial as medication and is of additive benefit to patients who are on treatment.
Lower your caffeine intake. Caffeine is a stimulant that releases sympathomimetics (the same chemical neurotransmitters that are released during anxiety or fear
Along with psychotherapy, treatment of GAD is mainly with anti-depressants. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are used most often. These include escitalopram, fluoxetine and venlafaxine.
SSRIs are started at the lowest possible dose and then increased to the highest dose that alleviates symptoms. Initially, the SSRIs may worsen anxiety, and it is important that patients should be informed about it. Up-tapering of the medication dosage should be slow and controlled, to prevent overwhelming anxiety, and a higher risk of patients defaulting medication.
Often, patients are given benzodiazepines (sedatives) in conjunction with anti-depressants, to assist with the initial worsening of anxiety. Benzodiazepines include lorazepam or alprazolam. It is important that benzodiazepines are only used short term, as they have a high rate of addiction.
Other anti-depressants that can also be used include Buspirone (an azapirone), which works as an agonist of the serotonin receptors in the brain (thus potentiates the action of serotonin).
