A person worrying excessively that someone will burn his house, rob him on gun point or a car will run over and kill him.
GAD is excessive worry and tension on day to day basis, which can be defined as an anticipating disorder where an individual finds it difficult to control the worry. Their tension and anxiety are unwarranted which results in frequent panics, concentration problems and troubles in sleeping.
People suffering from GAD find it difficult to control the tension, which is often self created and they worry excessively about daily routines, health, money, family, work, college. Sometimes when this condition becomes severe the person finds it difficult to function properly at home or at work.
This condition should have been present for a minimum period of 6 months accompanied by minimum 3 of the following symptoms
FACTS
Only 33%, of people suffering from Generalised Anxiety Disorder seeks treatment.
SYMPTOMS
- Being easily fatigued
- Restlessness
- Constant worry
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Difficulty in concentration
- Mind going blank
- Sleep disturbances
CASE STUDIES
A A, a 42 year old mechanical engineer came to the clinic complaining of high anxiety, restlessness, frequent headaches and dizziness. These symptoms and feelings have persisted over a period of 1 year. He further states that he has difficulty sleeping at night without taking 2-3 sleeping pills. He worries excessively about his family members that include his wife, daughter and his father. He fears of their safety and well-being as soon as they step out of the house. Some of his fears are that they will meet with an accident, get harmed or looted by thieves or they will just disappear and never return back to home. When he is at work he calls his family members numerous times, inquiring about their whereabouts, where they are, why they are out of the house, and are they hurt and not telling him about it.
When he is at home he doesn’t allow them to go out at night. News about
accidents, kidnapping, looting disturbs him deeply and there are instances, when he sweats and shivers fearing the worst for his family. His problem of anxiety has caused significant distress in his relationship with his wife. She is often irritated and disturbed by A’s fear. Furthermore, professionally it has caused a severe downfall in his work performance.
