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generalized anxiety disorder

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For millions of Americans, anxiety is overwhelming and persistent, often dramatically interfering with daily life.

"Ever since I was a small child, I have always had this fear which I described to my doctor as 'a funny feeling' in my stomach. School was especially difficult for me. I would have these 'nervous attacks' in class and I knew everyone was looking at me as I sat there, perspiring. I just kind of held on to my desk, praying the bell would ring so I could get out and get some air. I felt this same way anytime I had to talk in front of people, eat out at a restaurant with my family, or travel to someplace new.

Things really got bad for me when I entered nursing school. My grades were good, but the more I learned about the various medical maladies and procedures, the more I began to worry that I might be suffering from a serious medical problem myself. I obsessed that I had a heart condition, a brain tumor, or leukemia. Whatever we were studying, I developed the symptoms.

I saw our family physician on a regular basis and test after test confirmed that physically, I was perfectly fine. I didn't believe it. I thought he just had to be missing something. I was always nervous and jittery. My heart would always be racing. I had strange aches and numbness in my arms and legs. My doctor suggested that it was likely just stress, and prescribed some Valium. The pills did help me relax, but I felt like a zombie on them. I believed I was alone, totally different from everyone else and might just be 'losing my mind'."

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. Whether it's the birth of that first child or the loss of a job, everyone will experience occasions when his or her stress level becomes overwhelming. Generalized anxiety disorder, however, is marked by chronic anxiety over a long period of time, at least several months. It is a condition misunderstood and misdiagnosed for years, estimated to affect over 20 million Americans, and most prevalent in females and blacks.

Anxiety can be best described in terms of worry, a general troubled or uneasy feeling of apprehension. The worry associated with anxiety is chronic, persistent and habitual, often initiated by unrealistic situations or thoughts. In addition, this worry is seemingly uncontrollable and often interferes with the ability of the individual to concentrate or otherwise function comfortably and normally. Individuals suffering from anxiety often experience a host of physical symptoms including: inner nervousness, diarrhea, heightened blood pressure, shortness of breath, headaches, fatigue, sweating and shakiness. Generalized anxiety disorder can coexist with other ailments including panic disorder, depression and alcoholism.

Anxiety sufferers are conditioned to respond inappropriately to their thoughts, emotions and stimuli in their external environment. They have an unrealistic, pessimistic view of themselves and the world around them which permeates their life cycle. It is a learned and practiced point of view and one that over time has damaging effects both physically and emotionally.

Helpful Guidelines For Coping With Anxiety

• Recognize and admit that you are feeling anxious.
• Become aware of your body's symptoms. Don't let them scare you; let them "talk" to you.
• Try to pinpoint what it is you are anxious about. What happened yesterday? What were you thinking about before you went to bed? If you can't pinpoint the source, don't worry about it and try to move on.
• If you do know what it is that is bothering you, what can you do to eliminate or minimize the situation in some way so that it isn't so stressful?
• More important, how can you react differently so you won't be so affected by this situation?
• Give yourself permission to feel anxious about whatever it is that is bothering you. "Of course I feel anxious about this problem. Anyone would."
• Listen to the dialogue within yourself. Are you filling yourself full of negative thoughts about a certain situation? What could you say to yourself that would feel more comforting and soothing.
• Are you overwhelming yourself with "shoulds" and high expectations? If so, which ones could you eliminate?
• Are you blaming someone else for your anxieties, unhappiness, poor health, lack of success or whatever? How can you take responsibilty for yourself and make some positive changes?