Anxiety
-anxiety is normal and everyone experiences at times
-it triggers our body’s “fight-flight-freeze” response, which prepares the body to defend itself
-this response can become a problem if there is no danger…the body is just reacting like there is!
-sometimes the anxiety can become overwhelming and interfere with our quality of life
-it’s important to learn about anxiety and how to recognize it…this is the first step in successfully managing it!
-affects your body, thoughts and behaviours
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
-main symptom of GAD is worry, although often people with GAD notice the physical symptoms first
-everyone worries from time to time..it’s normal.
-people with GAD worry excessively and uncontrollably and this is when it becomes a problem
-if you notice yourself worrying only when you are experiencing major stresses in your life, this IS NOT Generalized Anxiety Disorder
-people with GAD will worry even when everything is going OK
-people with GAD will worry about the same things other people worry about, but they will worry more and more often than others
-often the worry will have a “chaining” effect, meaning that one worry will lead to another, which will lead to another, and so on
-physical symptoms often include fatigue, sore muscles, trouble sleeping and concentrating
-they have difficult controlling their worries and generally worry about things that might happen in the future “what if …”
-also include heart racing, sweating, feel fidgety, getting easily upset, having an upset stomach
If you think you may have GAD, please see a medical profession to be properly diagnosed and to receive support.
If you have been diagnosed with GAD and are looking for tips on managing this, check out the following link:
http://www.anxietybc.com/resources/pdfs/hmgad.pdf