An anxiety disorder involves unreasonable nervousness and worry about a variety of activities or events that lasts for six months or longer.
People with this disorder constantly feel worried or distressed. The severity of the worry, how often it occurs and how long it lasts are out of proportion to the situation.
The worries or anxieties may come and go, getting worse when a person is under stress.
A person may experience panic attacks, short bouts of extreme disorder, along with at least four of the following symptoms:
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Dizziness, unsteadiness or faintness
- Fear of dying
- Fear of going crazy or of losing control
- Feelings of unreality, strangeness or detachment from the environment
- Flushing or chills
- Nausea, stomach ache or diarrhea
- Palpitation or a racing heart
- Shortness of breath or a sense of being smothered or choking
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
About 3% of all adults have some form of anxiety disorder. Women are twice as likely as men to have this disorder. It often begins in childhood or adolescence but it can start at any age.
For a doctor to make a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder, a person must feel worry or anxiety and three or more of these symptoms:
- Restlessness
- Getting tired easily
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Disturbed sleep
Treatment of this condition usually involves counseling and drug therapy. Certain types of drugs can reduce the anxiety. Counseling can help the person understand the causes of the anxiety and ways of coping with it.
Stress reduction techniques such as relaxation, yoga, meditation, exercise and biofeedback can also be helpful.
