The More You Know: FAQs About Anxiety

Once you understand that you or a loved one is battling anxiety, it is common to get lost in the complexity of the condition. There is constant worrying, panic, bodily sensations, and racing thoughts that can have a major impact on your life, leaving you desperately searching for answers and/or some signs of hope. Does this describe your experience? If you feel stuck in this space, we can help. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide on an everyday basis (for some). Its grip can be invasive and before you know it, the disorder has consumed your life. If severe enough, it starts suffocating and intruding on your day-to-day activities. Gaining an understanding of the multiple aspects of GAD through psychoeducation is the first step toward finding a way out of the chaos. Therefore, this post will address some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Top FAQs About Anxiety 1. What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder? Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a mental health condition that is defined by excessive and constant worrying about various things in life. Individuals who are affected constantly expect the worst possible scenarios and are concerned about absolutely everything in their lives. A person is diagnosed with GAD after having symptoms which meet the DSM-5 criteria for at least six months. The condition can become debilitating and make it hard for one to function in regard to daily living. 2. Can Generalized Anxiety Disorder be cured? This is a very common concern regarding the disorder. While GAD is a chronic and long-term condition, it can be effectively managed. Most people receiving treatment for GAD report discovering issues in childhood. According to research, the condition is usually diagnosed around the age of 35. It is imperative to note that GAD does not go away on its own. For this reason, it is important to seek trusted professional assistance to ensure long-term effective treatment options.

3. How common is this disorder? Generalized Anxiety Disorder is very common in today's society, way more than you think. Per the statistics from National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), in any given particular year, over 6.8 million people in the United States have GAD. Women are twice as likely to have the disorder than men. 4. Is GAD a genetic disorder? Per various research sources, having family members with GAD slightly increases your risk of developing the disorder. However, whether or not one develops the disorder depends on both environmental and genetic factors.

5. I can’t turn off my thoughts. They are worse at night while trying to sleep. How do I do that? The racing thoughts that consume your mind during the day do not appear to be as bothersome because you're consumed with life activities. At night, life slows down and you then notice all of the consuming thoughts. So...how do you calm your mind? One of the best answers to this FAQ about anxiety comes from Dr. Kevin Gilliland, PsyD and executive director of Innovation360. Dr. Gilliland says having ample time to relax before bed can assist in ensuring you get sound sleep. It can be extremely tiring for those with GAD to get rid of racing thoughts. Therefore, leaving everything 30-40 minutes before going to bed allows your brain to relax, which generally means better sleep.

Conclusion: Generalized Anxiety disorder affects millions of people all over the world. It can be very debilitating and affect every part of an individual’s life, which makes it extremely difficult to navigate through. We hope these common FAQs about anxiety will help you find the much-needed answers and clarity concerning your issues. To continue learning more about mental health daily, subscribe to our blog