One of the most important parts of having generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is learning how to cope with the persistent anxiety and some of the physical symptoms. This page can serve as a guide to coping with anxiety that will be frequently updated with new articles and information based on practical tips that work to cutting-edge research findings.
Understanding GAD
It is crucial to understand the elements of GAD as completely as possible to be able to cope with it effectively. The following articles are a good way to begin or increase your depth of understanding of GAD:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD basically means feeling tense and anxious much of the time over things that wouldn’t normally bother you – or not so much, anyway (1). Feeling like this every day can quickly suck a sense of meaning from life. Every day feels like survival.
This can happen because structurally, the brain and body of the ‘you 20,000 years ago’ are no different from today (okay, the ‘you’ back then may have been a little more buff…). My point here is that the natural responses that kept us alert and alive back then still work within us.
So what hunts you now?
Modern life has replaced ancient wolves with relationships gone bad, financial worries, unresolved traumas, bad bosses, fears of not fulfilling expectations adequately, bad diet, and excessive consumption of stimulants. Unless we learn to fend off and master the inner ‘wolves’ as we did the outer ones, we’ll fall prey to all the fear and anxiety reactions we evolved to feel.
It’s strange that this most ancient of responses is seen as pathological or even as a medical condition or ‘disease’.
People with GAD commonly report:
- Feeling by turns restless and agitated, but also exhausted and unable to cope.
- Unable to ‘switch off’ and relax.
- Always being ‘on high alert’.
- Difficulty sleeping.
- Difficulty eating, digestive problems.
- Other physical symptoms of stress such as raised blood pressure, palpitations, sweating, rapid shallow breathing.
- Anxiety about everyday routines and circumstances, health worries, finances.
- Worries seem to be out of proportion, meaning other people may be at a loss to understand just what is bothering you.
- Worry seems to switch from one thing to another.
All of the above would fit the condition of a primitive person negotiating the savageries of pre-civilization. All of the above are natural adaptations we evolved to experience.
Experiencing GAD can be likened to driving a car in top gear in a 10 MPH speed limit zone. Adaptations need to be made so that you don’t waste ‘fuel’ in your daily life.
If you have been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, then try the following:
1) Remember it’s normal
Remind yourself that whatever scary GAD symptoms you’ve been experiencing are all part of the normal range of what we’re all supposed to feel sometimes. Forget the clinical formality of psychiatric diagnoses. Basically, you have been feeling like a pack of wolves has been on your trail. This is normal after a build-up of stress; you are normal.
2) Think about what stresses you and seek to minimize it
One wolf might be scary, but many together can be terrifying. Lots of little life stresses build up into a pretty intimidating pack of stresses. Ask yourself: when did this GAD start? What was happening in your life at the time? Was there more stress than usual? Even a few nights of poor sleep can be enough to make some people feel very anxious.
- Have you been worrying about something in particular?
- Is your diet full of stimulants such as sugar and caffeine?
- Have you learnt how to relax the mind and body?
Remember you are safe
The level of anxiety, trepidation, and foreboding so often seen in people suffering Generalized Anxiety Disorder is appropriate, even useful, in ongoing physically dangerous circumstances. If you are not physically safe in your life right now, then you need to take immediate steps to ensure you are.
But as I’ve said, we all still respond to modern threats as if they were ancient physical ones. You need to remind yourself that, luckily, you’re not being pursued by threatening wolves bent on eating you. Next time you respond physically (nerves in stomach, rapid breathing, and increased pulse rate) when there is no physical threat, remind yourself:
Don’t worry about worry
One commonly reported symptom of GAD is worry about stuff that shouldn’t really be worrying at all. This happens because when you have strong feelings, your mind will seek ways to try to justify that emotion. It’s as if your mind has to make a container for the feelings – something to worry about.
Sound strange? Well, consider this: If you’re already, say, seething with anger about something, you can go out in the street still feeling angry and find yourself angry about the way strangers look, the little slow elderly woman taking too much time in front of you in line, the way someone speaks to you…anything. This will happen until you calm down again, at which point the things you were using to justify those angry feelings will no longer be bothersome.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder drives us to find stuff to feel worried about. It’s important you remember this so you can start to put worries into their true perspective.
Deal with the physical symptoms of fear
When you feel physically safe and calm, you breathe nice and evenly, your blood pressure normalizes, and your immune system works better. The more relaxed you feel, the more ‘normal’ other physical processes like sleep and digestion become. Insomnia was supposed to happen when we were being tracked by wolves. When your body and mind start to feel safe again, then restful sleep can return.
When you relax, you also find it easier to think clearly; anxiety has a way of clouding the brain. Relaxation also improves your mood, including your optimism and level of self-confidence. Suddenly, the wolves have gone or you have mastered them. This is very different from the constant worry and foreboding of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Source: http://www.uncommonhelp.me/