What is GAD and panic disorder?
GAD, also known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, is a mental health disorder which is characterized by excessive and persistent worrying about a variety of things. People who suffer from GAD constantly worry about things like family, money, and work among other issues. They may anticipate disaster in every step they take. For some, this worry might be standard but people suffering from GAD expect the worse is going to happen even without any apparent concern or reason.
As compared to GAD, a panic attack is an episode of severe physical reactions without any apparent cause or real danger. This episode is intense and could be very frightening. People who suffer from a panic attack might feel like they are losing control of their surroundings, heaving a heart attack, and even dying. A lot of people suffer from panic attack-like situations. Still, if this kind of attack becomes recurrent, and a person fears that this type of attack may happen in the future, which leads to a change in lifestyle, then it is labelled as panic attack disorder.
What are the signs of GAD and panic disorder?
Some of the common symptoms in Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
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Ongoing and excessive worry and tension.
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Always feeling on edge and uneasy.
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Irritability.
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Muscle tension.
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Headaches.
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Sweating.
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Difficulty in concentration.
As compared to GAD, the panic attack includes symptoms like:
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sense of impending doom;
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fear of death or loss of control;
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increased heart rate;
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sweating, shaking or trembling;
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shortness of breath;
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chills without fever;
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hot flashes or nausea;
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abdominal cramps;
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chest pain and headaches;
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dizziness, lightheadedness or faintness;
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numbness or tingling sensation.
What is the recommended treatment for anxiety?
The decision to treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder depends on how much it is affecting your lifestyle. Some of the treatment options commonly used for this are medications and psychotherapy. For some people, only psychotherapy is enough; for others, a combination of both is necessary.
How can psychotherapy and counselling help?
Counselling and psychotherapy are used first for treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder. In psychotherapy, CBT, integrative psychotherapy, counselling and other forms of psychological therapies prove to be very effective in treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
These sessions of psychotherapy and counselling are targeted to teach person-specific skills that manage worries and help return to activities they once forgone due to generalized anxiety. Through these processes, a person can recognize their triggers for anxiety and control them, leading to lesser symptoms of anxiety over time.
