Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

September 26, 2008 by Alex Taylor · Comments Off 

Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms are the physical (and sometimes psychological) symptoms that are caused by the excessive and uncontrollable worrying associated with the condition.

What Causes These Symptoms?

The majority of these symptoms are caused by the excess adrenalin found in the systems of those affected with generalized anxiety disorder. It’s unnatural to have such high levels of adrenalin in the system for such prolonged periods, and the result is often unpleasant and unshakable physical symptoms.

The longer a person is exposed to these increased levels of adrenalin the stronger the symptoms will become and the harder they will be to overcome, and therefore the priority in this situation is to find ways to calm the body (even for brief periods of time), allowing the adrenalin levels to return to somewhere close to normal.

What Are The Most Common Symptoms?

Generalized anxiety disorder has been known to cause just about every physical symptom you can imagine, but there are some symptoms that are present in almost all cases.

Some of the most common symptoms associated with GAD are:

  • Palpitations
  • Dizziness
  • Headaches
  • Muscle Tension
  • Muscle Aches
  • Muscle Twitches
  • Fatigue
  • Sweating
  • Numbness
  • Tingling
  • Depersonalization

For a more detailed list of symptoms that you might be experiencing, and for a closer look at each of them in turn, check out the dedicated anxiety symptoms page.

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder Diagnosis

September 25, 2008 by Alex Taylor · Comments Off 

In order for a doctor to formally offer someone a generalized anxiety disorder diagnosis, the following criteria must be met (the following text is taken directly from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV):

  1. Excessive anxiety & worry occurring more days than not for at least 6 months, about events such as work or school performance

  2. Difficulty controlling worry

  3. The anxiety and worry are associated with at least 3 of the following 6 symptoms. Only one of the following symptoms is required in children:

  • restlessness and feeling on edge
  • becoming tired more easily than normal
  • irritability
  • unusually high muscle tension
  • insomnia - trouble both falling asleep and staying asleep
  • problems concentrating or the mind going suddenly blank

Symptoms can also include nausea, vomiting, and chronic stomach aches. There are numerous other physical symptoms associated with generalized anxiety disorder.

  1. The focus of the anxiety and worry isn’t confined to features of an Axis I disorder, e.g., the anxiety or worry is not about having a panic attack (as in panic disorder), being embarrassed in public (as in social phobia), being away from home or close relatives (as in Separation Anxiety Disorder), gaining weight (as in anorexia nervosa), having multiple physical complaints (as in somatization disorder), or having a serious illness (as in hypochondriasis), and the anxiety and worry do not occur exclusively during post-traumatic stress disorder

  2. The anxiety, worry, and physical symptoms cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, and other important areas of day-to-day life

  3. The disturbances are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (drug abuse or medication) or a general medical condition (hyperthyroidism) and do not occur exclusively during a mood disorder, a psychotic disorder, or a pervasive developmental disorder

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