اضطراب فراگیر GAD نوعی اختلال نشات گرفته از احساس نگرانی بی‌دلیل است. People with this disorder will be constantly worried and anxious and cannot control their emotions well. Statistics presented in reliable medical sources such as the National Institute of Mental Health show that a large percentage of people who suffer from pervasive anxiety disorder symptoms also experience other mental illnesses such as depression.

In this article from the website of Dr. Keihani Fard's clinic, we intend to examine the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in adults and provide you with some ways to manage and control it. Stay with us until the end for more information.

What is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?

Generalized anxiety disorder is a type of anxiety disorder caused by uncontrollable and continuous worries in a person that can affect his daily life. These people usually have unusual feelings of fear and worry, and easily get worried and upset about anything. It can be said that work, education, health and even doing daily tasks will also face problems due to the symptoms of anxiety disorder in adults.

Differences of generalized anxiety disorder in different age groups

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can manifest itself differently in different age groups. In children, this disorder is usually associated with excessive concerns about school performance, social relationships, and family health. Children may constantly ask their parents to be with them and fear being separated from them. In teenagers, anxiety symptoms generally include worries about the future, academic pressures, and social relationships. This group may refrain from participating in social activities due to the fear of others' judgment.

But in this article we have discussed the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in adults. Therefore, in adults, generalized anxiety disorder usually occurs with concerns related to work and personal or family health. Adults may feel that they are not in control of their lives, and this feeling can lead to sleep problems and disruption in their daily functioning.

But it is interesting to know that the elderly can also face such a disorder. In the case of the elderly, this disorder is associated with concerns about chronic diseases, loneliness and loss of independence. As you read, the symptoms may be different in each age group; But in all of them, the feeling of constant worry and lack of peace is common.

Physical and psychological symptoms of pervasive anxiety in adults

People who suffer from adult generalized anxiety disorder are more prone to stress than normal people and are constantly worried. they take Such people are not able to control their anxiety and will usually experience different symptoms. Some of the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in adults are as follows:

• Problems in sleeping;
• Face with body vibration;
• muscle contraction;
• experiencing severe headaches;
• increasing the level of irritability;
• Sweating and hot flashes;
• feeling lightheaded;
• The occurrence of breathing problems;
• nausea and frequent urination;
• Feeling of tightness in the throat;
• fatigue and lack of concentration;
• be startled;
• Lack of feeling relaxed.

The experience of such conditions and symptoms warns us that it is better to consult a psychologist and psychiatrist specializing in this field as soon as possible to treat generalized anxiety disorder.

Possible causes of generalized anxiety disorder in adults

Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms occur when a person is unable to control his internal stress. In many cases, this disease has genetic roots, and sometimes it will be caused by the disruption of hormones due to diseases such as hyperthyroidism. But some of the possible causes of such a disorder are as follows:

• being in a stressful situation;
• Emergence of hormonal problems;
• Genetics;
• type of personality;
• Difference in brain function.

As we said, the above reasons are actually the possible causes of generalized anxiety disorder, and to diagnose the exact cause, it will be important and necessary to see a specialist doctor.

Diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder: how to identify this disorder?

Diagnosis of adult anxiety disorder symptoms can be done with some criteria such as dsm-5 or various questionnaires such as GAD-7 by mental health specialists or primary care physicians. It is possible for the doctor to ask questions about the patient's symptoms, family history, and medical history and perform a physical examination.

It takes more time to diagnose generalized anxiety disorder than other medical or mental illnesses such as obsessions, phobias, and depression. Normally, this anxiety is also accompanied by some physical symptoms, and your life routine may be disturbed due to suffering from it, and you may feel that you have changed a little compared to the past.

How does generalized anxiety affect your daily life?

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can significantly affect people's daily lives. People suffering from this disorder usually face constant worries about various issues such as work, relationships and personal health. Such concerns can lead to reduced concentration and productivity in daily activities. Because of this, people may refuse to perform simple tasks such as shopping or participating in social gatherings; because they feel they have no ability to control themselves.

Also, anxiety disorder may cause sleep problems, which will result in fatigue and decreased energy during the day. These conditions lead to problems in personal and professional relationships; Because the person may avoid social interactions and feel isolated. Finally, the symptoms of adult anxiety disorder can affect the quality of life in general and significantly reduce the feeling of happiness.

Generalized anxiety disorder or normal anxiety? How to tell the difference?

People experience occasional generalized anxiety attacks; This type of anxiety can even be healthy! Because it will increase the power of focusing attention or motivating a person to take action. But if anxiety becomes a disorder, when worry becomes excessive and impairs the ability to function daily, diagnosis and treatment will be required. In this situation, it is called pervasive anxiety and it will continuously prevent concentration and the ability to perform some personal tasks, for example at work.

Management and treatment strategies for generalized anxiety disorder

There are different strategies for managing and treating adult anxiety disorder symptoms In this section, we will examine some general anxiety treatment strategies:

slow breathing exercise

When you are anxious, your breathing will become faster and shallower. Therefore, try to control the speed of breathing and breathe slowly.

Attempt for progressive muscle relaxation

Find a quiet place and close your eyes. Try to slowly contract your muscles and relax them again from your fingers to your toes. Stretch the muscles and hold for 3 seconds and then release. This work can help you in reducing the amount of muscle tension caused by general anxiety.

Know your anxiety type

When you are at your best and at your worst, carry a notebook and find specific patterns and write them down. This work will help you to know the type of anxiety and act to control it.

Create a healthy lifestyle

Staying active, eating well, going on nature walks, spending time with family or friends, and doing favorite activities will all help reduce generalized anxiety.

Exercise

Exercising regularly is one of the best solutions for treating anxiety and depression. Continuous physical activity will be an effective way to control these conditions by metabolizing excessive stress hormones and restoring relaxation to the body.

Meditate

Research presented on the prestigious medical website of the American Psychiatric Association shows that practicing meditation regularly opens the brain's neural pathways and increases the ability to regulate emotions. By doing meditation, we will learn to stay away from anxious thoughts and stories and let them go.

Conclusion

A type of continuous anxiety that is caused by enduring certain stressful situations or hormonal and genetic conditions is called adult generalized anxiety disorder. Of course, this anxiety can show itself in any age group, but the conditions of each one will be different. Therefore, timely diagnosis by performing some medical measures will determine the way to choose the most appropriate treatment method. If medication and psychotherapy are not enough, RTMS treatment is a new and effective option to reduce these symptoms. This non-invasive method helps to improve mental performance and reduce anxiety by stimulating the brain. In this article, we tried to check the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in adults from the clinic of Dr. Kihanifard for you dear ones and provide important points and matters in this field. We hope that the contents are useful and efficient. Thank you for being with us until the end.