Anxiety and Stress

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a condition that is much more severe than the normal anxiety most people experience from time to time. It is characterised by 6 months or more of chronic, exaggerated worry and tension that is unfounded or much more severe than the normal anxiety.

People with this disorder usually expect the worst. Typically, they worry excessively about money, health, family, or work, even though there are no signs of trouble. They are unable to relax and may suffer from insomnia.

Symptoms of people suffering from GAD include:

Headaches	Heart palpitations	Sense of impending doom	Inability to concentrate
Muscle tension & muscle aches	Diarrhoea	Chest pain	Dry mouth
Excessive sweating	Under eating or overeating	Insomnia	Irritability
Breathlessness & hyperventilation	Loss of sex drive	Fatigue

And for children of school-going age, symptoms include:
- Fear of being away from the family
- Refusal to go to school
- Fear of strangers
- Fear of falling asleep or having recurrent nightmares
- Unnecessary worry

Treatment
Anxiety can be treated with conventional medications and psychotherapy as well as alternative approaches. A combination of conventional and alternative methods has been shown to be effective. If self-treatment does not seem to be working, see a health professional, as you may be suffering a bona fide anxiety disorder.

Conventional Medicine
Psychotherapy and psychoanalysis concentrate on identifying buried conflicts and stresses that may be causing the anxiety. Behaviour modification, on the other hand, focuses on changing patterns of behaviour to help the patient avert anxiety or to cope better with it. Cognitive therapy similarly concentrates on changing ways of thinking.
Daily exercise has proven to be one of the best forms of treatment for anxiety.
Medication alleviates symptoms of anxiety and is often prescribed in conjunction with other therapies.

Alternative Medicine
Massage, music therapy, herbs and aromatherapy are some other ways that are prescribed to help GAD sufferers to relax.