Generalized anxiety disorder is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by persistent, exaggerated worry.

It's normal for people to feel anxious during periods of stress. However, people with generalized anxiety disorder experience chronic excessive anxiety and worries without reason. The problem is usually accompanied by physical signs, like fatigue, trembling, headaches, muscle aches, stomach upset, irritability, swallowing problems, sweating and hot flashes.

Patients with generalized anxiety disorder may realize their concerns are unfounded, but they are unable to stop feeling anxious. Instead, patients have a constant worry about "what may happen." A survey by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America found symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder have the greatest negative impact on family and personal relationships.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, generalized anxiety disorder affects about 4 million Americans. Women are affected about twice as often as men. Symptoms can begin at any age, but most commonly appear between childhood and middle age. Studies show more than one-third of patients with generalized anxiety disorder also has another type of anxiety disorder (like panic disorder, phobia or obsessive-compulsive disorder) or depression.

Treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder
There are many different types of treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. Medications can be prescribed to reduce symptoms of anxiety. Older drugs used to cause severe side effects. Now, newer ones, like Lexapro(r) (escitalopram oxalate) and EFFEXOR XR(r) (venlafaxine HCl), are helpful and have minimal side effects.

Patients may also benefit from psychotherapy. However, doctors say sometimes newly diagnosed patients are so anxious, they are unable to participate in psychotherapy. In these cases, medications may first be prescribed to control symptoms and psychotherapy started later.

SOURCES

National Mental Health Association, http://www.nmha.org