What Are The Symptoms Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

If you find yourself worrying about things that, in reality, are unlikely to take place or you often feel worried, anxious or tense all day when there is really no reason to, then you may well be showing some of the symptoms of GAD.

All of us have worries and fears about parts of our day to day lives but if your worrying is constant enough to get in the way of your life, preventing you from relaxing and preventing you from carrying on normally you may have developed generalized anxiety disorder.

GAD is a fairly common problem that affects millions of people throughout the world. It tends to manifest itself as chronic worrying or anxiety, general nervousness and tension with sufferers finding it very difficult to switch off and relax.

When you suffer from generalized anxiety disorder your anxiety isn't related to any specific thing, event or occasion. You can feel anxious all the time and your anxiety can colour every part of your life. The feeling is, however, no where near as intense as, for example, a panic attack but instead is a long lasting feeling of general anxiety that makes a normal life impossible.

The condition is both mentally and physically debilitating, it saps your energy, destroying any sense of feeling good and generally wearing you down. You will probably worry about the same things as other people such as health, family, money and work but your worries will be exaggerated out of all proportion.

Your worries will be constantly repeating in your head, you won't be able to switch them off.

People with generalized anxiety disorder will go through their days in a constant state of anxiety, thinking the worst of every situation even when there are no grounds for their anxieties.

Being worried or concerned about things is a normal part of our lives but it is when the worrying gets out of hand and begins to get in the way of our normal life that you have a problem. Excessive worrying, intrusive thoughts that keep appearing in your head are symptoms of Generalized Anxiety. The anxiety can become debilitating actually preventing you from finding a solution.

The symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder can be different from hour to hour and day to day. You will experience good days and bad days, you may find that your worrying is worse first thing while for others, late at night will be the worst time their worries. Not everyone experiences the same symptoms but most people with GAD have some or all of the following symptoms of GAD.

Worries continuously running through your mind. Intrusive, irrational thoughts with anxiety popping into your head at any time.

An inability to cope with uncertainty, a need to know exactly what is likely to happen in the future.

A sense that your anxiety is out of control, that you can't stop yourself from worrying.

An all encompassing feeling of fear or apprehension.

Feeling tense all the time with muscle pain from the tension.

Trouble sleeping either difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.

An inability to relax, as if your brain can't switch off.

Unable to enjoy being alone.

You put things off because you feel completely overwhelmed by life and avoid social situations where you feel anxiety.

You have difficulty concentrating on things.

You feel nervous and edgy a lot, jumping at sudden sounds.

You might start to suffer stomach problems, diarrhoea and sickness.

It is always worth getting a professional diagnosis and getting yourself checked over. Generally speaking, if you have tended to worry or be anxious in the past you could well have developed GAD but similar symptoms can also be caused by other medical conditions and medication

General Anxiety Disorder can be treated successfully and people go on to make a full recovery!

If you found this article informative and would like more information on overcoming generalized anxiety disorder visit my site at http://www.selfhelpanxietycures.com/

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Most Common Panic Attack Symptoms

Almost everyone has suffered a panic attack at some point in their lives. It could have been simply a momentary fright or a longer lasting sense of being very, very scared for whatever reason, but the fact is that a panic attack is devastating and often has long lasting and detrimental effects on general one's health. Anyone who suffers from a panic attack for whatever reason and at any age is deemed to be suffering from a syndrome known as Panic Disorder.

Panic attacks occur in a large percentage of adults, with statistics showing that around 20% of adult Americans; and around 60 million people worldwide, are sufferers. It is to be noted that women are twice as likely to be afflicted by this disorder than men. The onset of the first episode of panic attack usually occurs between the ages of 15 and 19 years of age.

Panic attack symptoms vary just as much as the people afflicted by them. As they happen very suddenly, they are unlike other forms of anxiety, which mostly build up over a period of time. The most common is an intense feeling of terrifying fear which leaves the victim rooted to the spot, unable to move, cry out for help, or act rationally. This awful fear is almost always accompanied by a pounding heart which sufferers relate can actually be heard and which results in the person shaking uncontrollably and, in a number of cases, with severe chest pain.

All these symptoms result in the inability to breathe normally and thus the person tries to gulp in air in an effort to get oxygen into their bloodstream. Thus, faintness and dizziness are further symptoms; and so in hyperventilation, where the person afflicted breathes in too fast and too shallowly and all the symptoms experienced thus far are magnified. More minor, but just as important, symptoms may include sweating, especially of the hands; and a tingling or numbness of the fingers and the hand. A feeling of being chilled or cold may manifest too.

An episode of panic attack is commonly mistaken for a heart attack, as there are many symptoms which are alike in the two, especially those of the racing or pounding heart and the chest pain. This, in turn, causes the episode to be lengthened, as the sufferer becomes more and more frightened. The phrase 'scared to death' is appropriate in this scenario.

It is important to know that a panic attack is usually of a very short duration, although the victim generally does not know how long an attack lasts. Statistics reveal that episodes usually only last up to ten minutes and most of them are considerably shorter. Bear in mind too, that even when most of the symptoms disappear, some may persist with the person for some time.

It is generally accepted that once someone has had one panic attack, he or she will be prone to experience the symptoms again, thus they will be known to suffer from Panic Disorder.

There are various Panic Attack Treatments available, such as the Linden Method and Barry McDonagh's Panic Away.

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5 Important Symptoms of General Anxiety Disorder

A General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a state in which the patient worries excessively. This feeling is unrelenting and the worry becomes exceedingly strong, that even a casual comment by someone about them becomes a matter of great worry to the patient. A person suffering from GAD finds it almost impossible to carry-on with his daily activities as worry takes over his thoughts completely. He is always in a state of worry, fear, tension and dreads unfortunate events. GAD affects people of all ages and from all walks of life.

People suffering from GAD exhibit both physical and psychological symptoms. Given below is a list of 5 such signs of anxiety to help you identify and understand this disorder.

* Tensed Muscles, Body Aches, Soreness, Trembling, Twitching, Headaches:
A person suffering from GAD displays all the signs of being extremely tensed and jumpy. The muscles remain tensed most of the time, which cause tiredness and pain in the muscles. He will complain of pain in various parts of his body. He will also tremble and shudder from some kind of fear. A little playful scare can easily send the person into a panic.

* Nausea, Upset Stomach, Diarrhea, Difficultly Swallowing:
The person suffering from GAD will inevitably suffer from several stomach problems. An upset stomach will bother the person most of the time. He will also have difficulty swallowing food. The stomach problems will further complicate the situation.

* Sweating, Hot Flashes, Frequent Visits To The Bathroom, Sleeplessness:
Since the person is in a state of anxiety, he may sweat abnormally. His body temperature will also be unusually high, most of the time. Due to GAD, he may also feel the need to empty his bladder frequently. The person will find it difficult to sleep properly as his mind will be troubled by disturbing thoughts.

* Irritability, Anxiousness, Easily Frightened, Inability to Concentrate:
A person suffering from GAD has an irritable nature, which will be evident from the way he interacts with others around. He shows heightened signs of anxiety which will also cause him to jump with fright at every scary thought or occurrence. The heightened anxiety will also prevent the person from concentrating on anything.

* An Unrealistic View Or Opinion About Simple Or Daily Problems:
Due to the state of anxiety prevailing in the mind of the person suffering from GAD, in his view the normal day-to-day problems will seem gigantic problems that are almost impossible to solve. While others may react mildly to these problems or take those casually, the anxious person will almost be frightened into inaction by the same problems.

One of the signs of anxiety noticed in people suffering from General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is that they expect a disaster at every step. For this reason they may be called neurotic or eccentric but in reality they are just suffering from GAD. Reassurance is the first thing that they need to overcome their state of anxiety.

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All About Anxiety Attack Symptoms

Anxiety attack symptoms are physiologically, psychological and emotional, and they often appear simultaneously although the suffer is not fully aware of the mechanism. Under the command of the mind, dominated by extreme fear, the body shows the so-called fight-or-flight reactions.

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

The heart beat accelerates so that more blood is pumped towards the extremities to support the need or urge to run. As a consequence of this blood 'drainage', the panic attack sufferer grows pale in the face.

Panting or difficulty breathing is often counted among anxiety attack symptoms as the body needs more oxygen to support the fight-or-flight situation.

Pounding temples and limb shaking are common.

Digestive upset with vomiting and diarrhea have been frequently reported. The body clears away the extra weight in the system in preparation of the flight.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS

Intense, gripping fear dominates among other anxiety attack symptoms. The fear is not logically explained although there is usually a trigger or stressor that allows for the feeling to escalate.

The growing fear is accompanied by fear of going crazy or losing control.

The urge to run and escape becomes dominant, particularly since the person also feels the imminence of death.

Feeling unreal like in a dream, the panic attack sufferer could also experience a sort of depersonalization, like it's all happening to someone else.

EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS

Emotional panic attack symptoms are subtler and they usually reveal themselves to the sufferer when under therapeutic scrutiny, with the specialist trying to make the patient aware of the mechanisms that accompany the panic attack. Emotional triggers are often to blame for the panic attack, however, it is possible to anticipate and even prevent a feat of anxiety by recognizing the symptoms in advance and acting against them.

There is no way to enumerate all the anxiety attack symptoms in an exhaustive list, since reactions differ from individual to individual. While in some sufferers the attacks are violent and debilitating, in others they sometimes pass unrecognized, with only minor manifestations. The real problem with anxiety attacks is that once you have one, you start fearing the next and thus you are most likely to trigger it yourself.

Therapy usually focuses on breaking the vicious circle that fear generates in such a way that the patient becomes in control of the condition and eliminates panic from his/her life for ever. You don't have to live with panic attacks, you just need to learn what to do against them.

Original article

What You Should Know About Anxiety Symptoms

There is a diversity of anxiety symptoms. Some of them are difficult to recognize particularly when they are mild. This explains why so many anxiety disorders go untreated for so long, until they become bothersome and interfere with the sufferer's normal activities. Over one hundred anxiety symptoms have been identified so far, and this great number finds an explanation in the unique chemical make up that defines every individual. While a person may have two or three anxiety symptoms, another one may face a real battle with numerous and severe manifestations.

Some Internet websites provide long lists of anxiety symptoms classified in such a way so that they make sense to the reader and throw light on one's condition. Needless to say that none of these lists can be exhaustive, due to the same individual uniqueness that we've mentioned above. The diagnosis for anxiety can only be given by a clinician, based on the patient's description of the symptoms. It is of paramount importance to give a detailed account of everything you feel so that the doctor may determine the kind of anxiety and recommend a form of treatment.

Drugs are often prescribed as a way of keeping anxiety symptoms under control. When these symptoms interfere with the individual's day-to-day existence, jeopardizing family life, work and the totality of one's living, something needs to be done fast. Tranquilizers usually bring immediate anxiety symptoms relief, but specialists are reluctant when it comes to prescribing drugs without trying other therapeutic strategies. Only in the severest of forms are drugs the best solution, although medication is not a cure for anxiety and panic disorders.

Therapy is the only kind of treatment that can get the patient rid of medication and allow the anxiety sufferer to lead a normal, balanced life. It's a long way to achieving the set objectives, but step by step, cognitive-behavioral therapy gives the anxiety patient the tools to fight anxiety, panic attacks, phobias and all the negative thoughts that encourage them. Individual counseling, group therapy as well as self-help strategies can beat anxiety symptoms by increasing the individual's awareness together with the capacity of self analysis or introspection.

Consequently, treating the anxiety symptoms with medication is just the first step of a much more complex approach to this mental health problem. Fortunately the sciences dedicated to the study and recovery from mental health ailments have made incredible progress with research and clinical experience, allowing for the rehabilitation of thousands of anxiety sufferers.

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Symptoms of Anxiety in Children

Many people often misinterpreted anxiety and fear, wherein the fact is that these two common emotions are just the same. Children with anxiety exhibit symptoms that are also present when fear is being felt. Parents must be alert at observing these symptoms in order for them to resolve while it's still earlier. There are times when the parents overreact on what their children's response on anxiety. Instead they are being comfort; they punish the child which is the worst thing to do when handling the symptoms of anxiety in children.

A child with anxiety often manifested with physical symptoms such as intense and irrational fear, headaches, nausea and vomiting, abdominal discomfort and muscle tensions. These symptoms can be an indication of other medical conditions. Parents are still responsible of noticing these symptoms for prompt management. Children with anxiety disorders often have behavioral symptoms as manifested by nervousness, jittery, irritability, inability to concentrate and hypersensitivity for no apparent reason. These symptoms are true in children with generalized anxiety disorders where they always wrap up with irrational fears and unrealistic worry about day to day life. With these symptoms manifested by children with anxiety, it can affect their lives in many aspects. Even if the children experiencing anxiety may realize that his emotions are overwhelming, they'll still have the hard time to cope their stress and tensions. Managing and controlling their exaggerated emotions are seem very difficult to do so since they are not yet capable of thinking what are the ways to handle their own problems.

This problem is also present in adult when anxious but mostly children are demonstrating these symptoms. Also, a child may have poor school performance and/or hesitate to go to school because of fear that he will be discriminated by his classmates and teacher. This behavioral problem is common among children with separation anxiety who are experiencing intense fear of being separated from their parents or caretaker. A child may afraid to participate in classroom activities and would rather to spend time alone in studying the academic subjects. This is a tough problem when dealing a child who is not open to tell his problems or what has been bothering with them. Parents may find it difficult how to handle the child's anxiety for he is keeping his own life issues.

For children with phobias, the feeling irrational fear is the always the symptom. A child becomes panicky when exposed to something that he is most afraid of. This can be object, animal, person or life events. With the tremendous fear he felt on a particular situation, he is likely to avoid it. A child's phobia is enough to cause him to manifest physical symptoms like heart palpitations; sweating; trembling; shortness of breath or even a feeling of being smothered as though one can't breathe; chest pain; dizziness; a fear of losing control and sane or even dying.

If your child is suffering from theses symptoms you may refer him to the nearest psychotherapist or pediatrician for you to be guided on what are the different approaches and therapies to manage and handle the anxiety of your child.

Please check out my blog on anxiety in children treatment.

Michael Workinstiney is a professional father who likes to write a lot about fatherhood and parental coaching. He likes meeting parents old and new and train them proven and effective ways of raising their children.

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Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

So you think you might have an anxiety disorder? But which one? How can you figure it out? Well, the easiest way is to go by your main symptoms. Let's see if we can sort them out.

Panic Attacks

One of the key differences between anxiety disorders is the presence or absence of panic attacks. If you have panic attacks, then the most likely disorders that you may have are either post traumatic stress disorder or a phobia. Some clinicians also consider panic attacks themselves as a separate category.

What are panic attacks?

Many people don't even realize when they are having a panic attack because they are so intensely physical. A panic attack is a strong physical and emotional episode in which the sufferer feels a series of symptoms. The most typical physical symptoms are chest pains, racing heart, difficulty breathing, nausea and hot/cold flashes. Often the sufferer will believe they are having a heart attack and rush to the hospital only to find that there is nothing physically wrong with them.

Emotional symptoms are mainly an intense fear that they are about to die and, often, the belief that they are losing their minds.

Have you had a life threatening situation in your recent past?

Panic attacks are one of the main symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD. PTSD is an anxiety disorder caused by the stress of a life threatening situation. War veterans will typically suffer PTSD when they return from combat and try to readjust to civilian life. The death of or separation from a loved one can also cause PTSD.

If you are having panic attacks and have had a traumatic incident in your recent past, PTSD is likely the cause of your episodes.

Are you scared of spiders, dogs, the dark or something else?

If you freak out at the thought of a specific creepy crawler or hated creature, then the likely cause may be a phobia. Phobias are anxiety disorders that center on the fear of a specific thing, like a bug or snakes. If this is what you have then you have a phobia.

Symptoms are not always accompanied by panic attacks, however. Consider the following:

Do you get intensely nervous at the thought of interacting with people?

If you have great difficulty interacting with coworkers or peers, you may have social anxiety disorder. The inability to interact effectively with other people is one of the main symptoms. If you have few friends and have great difficulty just holding down a conversation or going about everyday interactions with people, you may be what you have.

Do you have difficulty letting a loved one out of your sight?

The fear of letting someone go is one of the main symptoms involved in adult separation anxiety disorder. If you find that you must spend every moment with a husband, son or parent because when you don't you are thrown into an intense state of anxiety, then this is the disorder you suffer from.

Finally, are you just generally anxious and nervous all the time with no apparent cause?

The central symptom of generalized anxiety disorder is a persistent and irrational fear that just doesn't go away. If you find that you cannot shake your sense of worry at any time, you are likely to have this disorder.

Finally, just to confuse matters further, many sufferers have more than one type of anxiety disorder. So it is not uncommon for someone with social anxiety disorder to also suffer from, say, separation anxiety disorder. Also, studies have shown that those with anxiety disorders are also very likely to have depression or other mental disorders. So it is important to figure out the nature of your anxiety disorder and treat any other related problems as well.

Tom Tait is focused on helping those with panic attacks. Here is more information on Anxiety Disorder Symptom. There is even more information about Panic Attacks on the website Panic Attacks.

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Anxiety Symptoms in Children To Watch Out For

According to studies, about 4 million adult Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder. It usually begins in childhood. If left unmanaged or untreated, this would be carried on for years. It is more common in women than in men.

Although the exact cause of an anxiety disorder is unknown, it is believed that it is caused by several factors. Research shows that genetics play a role in the development of anxiety. A person with a family history of an anxiety disorder increases his chance of developing an anxiety disorder. Another factor is physiologic, particularly in the brain. People with an anxiety disorder has abnormal levels of neurotransmitters, specifically serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and Gamma-aminobutyric Acid (GABA). Abnormal levels of those neurotransmitters alter how the brain reacts to a stimulus. The last factor would be environmental. Anxiety may develop primarily because of traumatic events, and use and withdrawal of addictive substances.

Even though anxiety disorders are psychologic, it also results to physical symptoms. The child would feel an excessive worry to a particular situation, which is primarily due to abnormal levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. He would also have an unrealistic view of problems. He is always pessimistic about something, and sometimes they may feel a sense of impending doom. He becomes restless and irritable. He may also experience muscle tension, trembling, headaches, and sweating. He also tends to lose focus, because he is excessively worried about something. Due to excess worrying, he may experience nausea and feel the urge to go to the bathroom frequently, either to defecate or urinate. Due to the stress he is experiencing, he becomes tired; however he would have trouble sleeping. He can be easily startled, since he lost his focus and his mind is wandering and focusing on something else.

When these symptoms show, it is important to help the child relax. This is achieved by teaching the proper breathing technique; letting him vent out his feelings about the certain situation; teaching him to redirect his thoughts to something that is relaxing. You, yourself, should also be calm during an anxiety attack because if you also become anxious, it may worsen the child's anxiety. You should also reassure the child that everything is going to be fine and that you are there for him no matter what happens. Also, establish an exercise routine for the child because it can help in relaxation. Ensure that the child is given proper nutrition by giving him those healthy foods that he likes. And, lastly, give a child a relaxing environment as he sleeps and make sure he gets at least 7-10 hours of sleep at night.

In today's crazy world, it's not surprising that childhood anxiety symptoms are becoming more and more prevalent. To know more about it, check out http://www.childhoodanxietydisorderhelp.com/

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Identifying Childhood Anxiety Symptoms

It is unfortunate, but children can suffer from anxiety as well as adults. For many parents, the symptoms of anxiety in their child may be frightening and even confusing. The symptoms that present in children are often much different than those found in adults.

A term that most parents will need to become familiar with is GAD, also known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Children who suffer from this disorder will often feel anxious or worried over various issues. These issues may include performance at school, relationships that they have with other children as well as other family members, athletic performance, and many others.

While it is true that most children will worry about these same issues, the child with GAD will worry excessively over them. Their feelings may become so overwhelming that they shy away from interacting with other people or avoid situations where they may feel pressured. Their reaction to these situations can have very negative effects on their lives.

Generally, children who suffer from GAD will become increasingly self-critical. They often need reassurance from others, and if that reassurance does not come, they can fall deeper into their symptoms. In some children, being anything less than perfect is not acceptable.

Many of these same children will find it hard to participate in group activities such as sports or other organized events. They often appear shy, which can also add to their issues, especially at school.

Some of the signs and symptoms that parents want to look for include:

Anxiety and worrying over a large variety of issues in which the child feels a sense of inadequacy. He or she may exhibit harsh, self-criticism or harsh self-evaluation on a variety of tasks including school work, sports, or relationships. The child may need constant reassurance of his or her actions.

In addition to emotional dilemmas, the child may also experience physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, nausea, muscle tension and frequent upset stomach.

Many children may also feel a sense of irritability or restlessness. They may have trouble sleeping and often wake up repeatedly during the night.

As these children age, they may turn to drugs and alcohol for relief of their symptoms. This path, of course, only adds to their turmoil and can result in severe depression or thoughts of suicide.

It is important to remember that these children may have difficulty in expressing how they feel. If you notice any signs of childhood anxiety, it is best to seek professional help.

Parents must understand that children with GAD need to be reassured. It is often a mistake to simply tell the child that they have nothing to worry about and leave it at that. Instead, urge the child to express his or her feelings.

If one or both of the parents are also suffering from anxiety issues, the child may pick up on this. Parents who often show their anxiety to their children become role models for the child in that the child mimics these same actions and expressions.

Again, seek help from your family pediatrician. A professional diagnosis is often needed in order for the child to get the proper treatment he or she needs. The good news is there are many treatment options now available and most children will benefit from these once treatment begins.

Want to learn more about anxiety symptoms in children? Click here to visit Anxiety Panic Solutions and learn more about anxiety in children treatment.

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