Chapter 1: The Facts

Okay, so basically before I get into my story- I think we need to know the facts about anxiety, panic and nervousness. So we will all be learning new things today. Anxiety comes in all shapes and sizes, generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety etc. These are the three main focus points in my first anxiety posts. Today I am focusing on...

 

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

 

In a nutshell, GAD (generalised anxiety disorder) is an incontrollable form of anxiety which occurs in a range of situations. It is a long-term disorder and can leave the sufferer not remembering the last time they were relaxed. GAD can display both physical and psychological symptoms which I will summarise here:

• restlessness
•  sense of fear and worry most of the time
• constantly feeling on edge
• finding it difficult to concentrate
• being irritable and impatient
• dizziness
• tiredness or fatigue
• palpitations
• pins and needles
• stomach ache and feeling sick

These symptoms could potentially cause you to withdraw yourself from your friends and family, perhaps lose an interest in something you once enjoyed? If you are anxious because of a specific reason, such as a severe phobia or suffering with panic disorder, it is easy to find a trigger for your anxiety- your phobia or the fact that you suffer with panic disorder. However for a GAD sufferer it is hard to pinpoint a specific thing that makes them anxious. Not knowing what your trigger is could then make you display more symptoms and resulting in even more anxiety.

 

Unfortunately the precise cause of GAD is still unknown, although specialists have looked into these areas as a possible cause and it is thought that these could contribute to developing GAD:

• overactivity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain (the part of the brain that plays a part in controlling feelings and emotions)
• an imbalance in chemicals found in the brain, dopamine and noradrenaline, these chemicals are involved in the controlling of your moods
• genetics. you are five times more likely to be diagnosed with GAD if a close relative has it too
• having a history of traumatic experiences such as; child abuse, bullying, domestic violence. this could also, however, be another condition- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• a painful and long term medical condition
• misuse of alcohol

So, if you feel as though you could have this disorder- go speak to your GP, a trusted adult (if you are a teenager/child)- this could be a parent or a teacher, a friend, a counsellor, or even e-mail me. I am a teenager myself and have no experience in GAD- just what I have read but feel free to send me a message and I may be able to give you some more in depth advice. If you have been diagnosed with GAD or suspect you have it, do not worry! 1 in 25 people in the UK have GAD so it is really common- you are not a weirdo. However, just because it is common, doesn't mean it isn't serious- so please get help because there are things that can help you. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is usually the first course of action with GAD cases. It is a talking therapy which can help to change the way you view your problems and help you to manage your problems too. However, if this isn't working- anti-depressants are an option. Anti-depressants, don't be afraid. You aren't depressed. SSRI's are usually the prescribed medication (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), they release a chemical called serotonin, which makes you happy and did you know that it also released from the sun (fun fact!). A rise in serotonin levels can improve your disorder- not completely cure! There are also several other things you can do to help yourself- self-help book, support groups, cutting down caffeine and do some exercise!

I hope that this has given you an insight into what GAD is like and maybe helped some sufferers?  I do not suffer with GAD and all my information has come from nhs.uk, so if you want even more information the NHS website is super useful, and perhaps a bit of a wonderland for hypochondriacs like me! Anyways, I have completely ignored my schedule on the ABOUT section on here, and uploading a post on anxiety a whole to days early (I didn't honestly think I would have this done for today, but alas I do!). Thank you ever so much for reading something that took me a heck of a long time to write and I hope, oh I really hope that I have given at least one person a bit of support.

X

(you do not know my temptation to write:
You Know You Love Me XOXO, 10 points to those who know what show this is from- answer in the comments, and yes they are pointless points :D )