Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension that some describe as an exaggerated feeling of impending doom, dread, or uneasiness. Unlike fear — a reaction to danger from a specific external source — anxiety is a reaction to an internal threat, such as an unacceptable impulse or a repressed thought that’s straining to reach a conscious level.
A rational response to a real threat, occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. Overwhelming anxiety, however, can result in generalized anxiety disorder — uncontrollable, unreasonable worry that persists for at least 6 months and narrows perceptions or interferes with normal functioning. Recent evidence indicates that the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder is greater than previously thought and may be even greater than that of depression.
''Causes and incidence'' .
Theorists share a common premise: Conflict, whether intrapsychic, sociopersonal, or interpersonal, promotes an anxiety state.
Generalized anxiety disorder has a 1-year prevalence range from 3% to 8%. It’s more common in women than in men, and half of all cases begin in childhood or adolescence.
''Signs and symptoms''
Generalized anxiety disorder can begin at any age but typically has an onset in the 20s and 30s. Psychological or physiologic symptoms of anxiety states vary with the degree of anxiety. Mild anxiety mainly causes psychological symptoms, with unusual self-awareness and alertness to the environment. Moderate anxiety leads to selective inattention but with the ability to concentrate on a single task. Severe anxiety causes an inability to concentrate on more than scattered details of a task. A panic state with acute anxiety causes a complete loss of concentration, typically with unintelligible speech.
Physical examination of the patient with generalized anxiety disorder may reveal signs or symptoms of motor tension, including trembling, muscle aches and spasms, headaches, and an inability to relax....
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