Generalised anxiety

If you experience so much anxiety that you’re constantly afraid something terrible is about to happen, you may have generalised anxiety disorder, or GAD.

What is it like to have GAD?

If you have GAD, it is like having your radar for disasters always turned on. If may feel as though you never have a break from the apprehension, and you never feel truly secure. As soon as you have an anxious thought, you may feel as though you need clarity at once. You may feel that you need to avoid all emotional discomfort, and you may have difficulty living in the moment.

It’s common for you to have other mental or physical problems at the same time. For example you may have obsessions, eating disorders or depression, or you may have constant pain in your stomach, back or shoulders. You may feel dizzy or disoriented, and may begin to cry easily.

GAD is one of several anxiety disorders, and it’s common to have several of them simultaneously. Examples of other anxiety disorders are social anxiety, panic disorder and phobias.

How does this affect your life?

You may have difficulty sleeping and be sensitive to stress, separations and situations where you risk losing control.

You may frequently worry about everything from disasters nearby to the world situation. Nearly everything feels threatening, and you may feel an enormous need for security. The continual stress and anxiety may cause you to suffer from exhaustion disorder or depression. The more space that the anxiety takes up, the less scope you eventually have to live the life that you might actually like to live.

When do I need to seek help?

You should seek help if your anxiety is so great that it causes difficulties in your daily life and limits your life.  You should also seek help if you are self-medicating with alcohol or sedatives in order to manage ordinary situations.

If you are experiencing these issues, don’t hesitate to seek help. There is a lot that you can do to feel better, and seeking care is the first step. If you don’t know where to seek care, you can find clinics via 1177.se.

What sort of help can I receive?

It is possible to feel better with the help of treatment. There are many different treatments, such as talk therapy and medication. The treatment entails learning to manage your anxiety in a way that prevents it from affecting and restricting your life.

If you have sought care in the past but didn’t think that it worked, don’t give up. Seek help again. Research has shown that the type of therapy is not what determines whether a treatment is effective; rather, it is the trust you develop in your therapist.

You are not alone

Many people have lived with anxiety for many years but have found ways to feel better.

Receiving a diagnosis or perhaps several does not mean that life is over — to the contrary, it can provide you with self-understanding, make you take yourself seriously and help you understand what you need. It can make you stronger and improve your self-esteem.

Gaining insight into your difficulties can give you a chance to feel better. For example it may help you learn to find other approaches that enable you to set limits for your uneasiness and begin to feel trust in relationships or a wider context. The more you are able to give up control, the better you may feel.