ANXIETY DISORDERS

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

First of all, yes, anxiety is a normal human response to challenging events. Challenging events range from very mild (where did I leave my keys) to really problematic challenges (like building a wall, stretching 3,145 km, without congressional funding).

When feelings of anxiety affect other aspects of your everyday life and spirals out of control, it may signal the beginning of a maladaptive form of anxiety known as General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). A 2012 Singapore study revealed that GAD affected 0.9% of the local Singaporean population, depending on which figures you believe (6.9 million anyone?), means that the number of persons suffering from GAD is not an insignificant number.

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Persons who suffer from GAD experience symptoms like…

Ψ Feeling nervous, irritable or on edge
Ψ Feeling a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
Ψ An increased heart rate or heart palpitations
Ψ Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation), sweating, and/or trembling
Ψ Muscle tension
Ψ Feeling weak or tired
Ψ Difficulty concentrating
Ψ Having trouble sleeping or maintaining sleep

Individuals often say that these symptoms are hard to control and once experienced, they affect other aspects of their life. Unfortunately, they usually seek medical attention only when GAD symptoms like sleeplessness and headaches become harder to ignore.

At the same time, it is important to remember that a diagnosis of GAD is not automatically given even if one experiences most or all of the symptoms listed. GAD is a clinical diagnosis that must be made by a trained clinical psychologist or psychiatrist. Additionally, some symptoms must be present for more days than not, over a period of 6 months. Symptoms typically worsen during periods of stress.

In severe cases, individuals with GAD may find it difficult to carry out daily tasks. This is compounded by the lack of drive or motivation to even get out of bed to face the day’s tasks and challenges, especially when it comes to going to work or school. Research indicates that women are more vulnerable to GAD, and the disorder tends to rear its ugly head from middle adulthood.

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Fortunately, GAD responds well to therapy, especially if there is early intervention.

Psychotherapy Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy and response prevention therapies) has been found to be very effective in managing GAD. CBT aids the individual in recognising triggers that would set off an anxiety episode, and concurrently, allows the individual to use imparted healthy coping mechanisms and relaxation techniques to deal with these triggers and resulting reactions.

Medication may also be necessary in some instances, and we work together with our friends over in psychiatry to provide you with holistic care.

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