GAD or Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a pain in the butt. And about 4 Million US citizens suffer from it during a year...and I am one of them.
For those of you that are not familiar with GAD, a few facts:
Basically GAD is made up of excessive, exaggerated anxiety and worry about everyday life events with no obvious reasons for worry. The worry is often unrealistic or out of proportion for the situation. Daily life becomes a constant state of worry, fear, and dread.
As a sufferer of GAD I can attest to the above. I know on one level that my worry is irrational, that I have nothing to fear, that if I let things calm down and take their course… things will work out one way or another. But that is just that… my emotional and non-rational side takes over and will not let me stop worrying, in fact I worry and get anxious even more since I know I am out of control.
People with GAD often exhibit numerous symptoms, including: Excessive, ongoing worry and tension, an unrealistic view of problems, feelings of being "edgy", Irritability, Muscle tension, headaches, trouble concentrating (This is a yuge one for me), Nausea, having to go to the bathroom often, tiredness but at the same time trouble getting and staying asleep (Preach it, brother), trembling and being easy to startle.
No one knows what causes GAD though there are several theories.
1) There is some support that genetics play a role.
2) Brain chemistry seems to play a role, as certain neurotransmitters seem to have a role.
3) And of course, environmental factors such as sudden events, death, accidents, etc. play a role.
The treatment consists of medication and therapy, or a combination of both. Unfortunately there is not a one size fits all form of treatment. I’ve been on a number of meds for GAD and so far only one seems to hold any promise, but then dosage can be another problem.
At its worst, and this has happened a few times, you feel as if you’re crawling out of your skin. That you can’t move or act for fear of the consequences. I’ve been to the point of wanting to cry and scream and breakdown when times get to be the worst.
But again, there is hope. With the right meds (and/or) therapy most symptoms can be managed… it is just a question of timing and being able to put up with everything in between times.