What are worry/GAD? | What are worry/GAD? |
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| Thursday, 03 February 2005 | |
What are worry and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?Worrying thoughts are common in anxiety. Definition: In worry, we anxiously go over things again and again in a way that is unhelpful because it does not actually help us sort out the difficulties that we are worried about. Sometimes the worry may be out of all proportion. For example, something that originally happened in a few moments, such as something that someone has said to you, can be on your mind for much of the following days or weeks. This can add up in total to many days or even weeks of worry over the following months. You may also find that you are feeling worried without being too sure what you are worrying about. Since the person finds that they worry about very many things in life they are sometimes described as having problems of Generalised Anxiety. Overall, about one in twelve people have problems of generalised anxiety at any one time. This means that several people in your own road/street are also likely to have problems of anxious worry at the moment. The following checklist will help you to identify whether you have any of the common symptoms of worry. Worry/generalised anxiety checklist: Q. Am I worried about things on most days and find it difficult to stop worrying? Q. Am I anxiously going over things again and again in my mind in a way that hasn't actually helped me sort out my problems? Q. Have I become over sensitive to possible difficulties and potential threats? Q. Am I downplaying my own ability to overcome these problems? Q. Do anxious worries cause me to feel physically on edge and tense? Q. Do I feel mentally and physically tired as a result of worry? Q. Do I have problems sleeping because of worry? Q. Have anxious thoughts caused me to reduce or stop what I do? Q. Have worrying thoughts caused me to avoid dealing with difficult situations or people? If you have answered Yes to several of these questions, then generalised anxiety is probably a problem for you. If you have answered Yes to several of these questions, then generalised anxiety is probably a problem for you. Next step: You can find out far more about worry and how to overcome it in the workbook Understanding worry and generalised anxiety in Overcoming Anxiety: A Five Areas Approach. You might also consider trying the free Anxiety Control Training download in the members areas (free). References: Overcoming Anxiety: A Five Areas Approach. Williams C, (2003) Hodder Arnold: London ISBN: 034081005X Credits: This page can be reproduced for personal use, or for use in training or teaching. Please credit the source below. Source: www.feelinglikethis.com |