Anxiety is a natural, normal part of life that many people experience. Anxiety can be a symptom of a medical or substance abuse problem. A person with anxiety may find that they have problems making daily decisions and having recollection of commitments made as a result of lack of concentration/ obsession with worry, feeling consistently anxious, appearance looking strained, with increased sweating from the hands and feet and may experience tearfulness, which can be indicative of other problems.
“An anxiety disorder, however, is diagnosed when various symptoms of anxiety people experience create significant distress and some degree of functional impairment in their daily living”.
Ref: (www.anxietycanada.ca)
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most common anxiety disorder to affect older adults usually by adolescence or early adulthood in children.
In adults it is “characterized by chronic excessive worry accompanied by any of the following symptoms:
- Lheadaches
- Lrestlessness
- Lfatigue
- Lfeelings of panic
- Lfear and uneasiness
- Labdominal pain
- Lshortness of breath
- Lnausea
- Lvomiting
- Lheart palpitations
- Lconcentration problems
- Lirritability
- Lmuscle tension
- Lsleep disturbance
Ref: (www.mvisd.com)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a common, chronic disorder categorized by persistent feeling of anxiety that is not triggered by any specific object, situation, or activity, but rather seem to be what Freud labeled “free floating.” People with GAD are chronic worriers and excessive worrying is considered the keynote feature of the disorder. (Ronald M. Rapee; (1991) Chronic Anxiety). Therefore, different anxiety disorders occur together or with other conditions such as depression or substance abuse.
“There are treatments available to help with anxiety disorders which include a form of psychotherapy called Cognitive Behaviour Therapy as well as certain types of medication specifically developed to help alleviate the associated symptoms of anxiety. Both types of treatment have been shown to be equally effective”
Ref: (www.anxietycanada.ca)
If people do not improve with one form of treatment, they are likely to improve with the other or a combination of both. A person with anxiety disorder finds it difficult to function in significant areas of their lives.
Here’s How We Can Help
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If you are experiencing any of these issues, we strongly suggest you make a confidential call to our office and speak with a counsellor in regards to scheduling an appointment. We are located conveniently within walking distance of the William Osler Hospital. For more information about anxiety counselling call 416-409-8045 for a free consultation or fill the confidential form.