Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom- Your Most Frequently Asked Questions Answered

Anxiety disorders cost the United States of America $46.6 billion every year. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in America, even more common than depression. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is just one of these anxiety disorders. Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms affect approximately 4 million people in America alone on a regular basis. Interestingly enough, it also affects twice as many women as men.

In the past, generalized anxiety disorder treatment has been limited to medication and expensive ongoing psychological visits. This article will discuss the most common generalized anxiety disorder symptoms as outlined by the DM-IV, the effect a generalized anxiety disorder symptom has on its sufferers and relief available for generalized anxiety disorder symptom sufferers.

Generalized anxiety disorder is one of the more common anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders cover a vast number of anxieties such as pathological anxiety, fear, phobia and nervous conditions. These disorders may come on without warning out of the blue or over many number of years and have an overwhelming impact on the lives of people who suffer from anxiety symptoms. One thing is clear and that is to be able to correctly diagnose a Generalized Anxiety Disorder and its symptoms (GAD) the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom must be present more days than not for at least six months time. A Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptom can be difficult to diagnose at times because it is not as dramatic as some other anxiety disorder symptoms seen with other anxiety disorders.

Here is a guide to the diagnostic criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms according to the DM-IV:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom 1 - Excessive anxiety and worry (apprehension), occurring more days than not for a period of at least 6 months, about numerous events or activities;

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom 2 - The person with GAD finds it hard to control the worry;

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom 3 - The anxiety and worry are associated with three or more of the following six symptoms, with at least some symptoms are present for more than 6 months in most days than not (at least one is required for children):

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom 4 - restlessness or feeling tense or on the edge

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom 5 - easily fatigued

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom 6- difficulty concentrating or mind going blank

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom 7 - irritability

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom 8- muscle tension and muscle aches

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom 9 - difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless unsatisfying sleep

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom 10 - difficulty swallowing

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom 11 - trembling, sweating

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom 12 - nausea, light-headedness

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptom 13 - feeling out of breath

These generalized anxiety disorder symptoms cause significant impairment and distress to the social, occupational or other important areas of the lives of sufferers. Fortunately, through research supported by the National Institute of Mental Health and the industry effective treatments are now available to treat generalized anxiety disorder symptoms in the comfort and privacy of your own home - and not all of these involve medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy.