FIND A DRUG
 
FIND DRUGS BY CLICKING FIRST LETTER
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Learn about GAD, including its symptoms, treatment, and medications.

Many people have what is known as a generalized anxiety disorder. This disorder is most often characterized by constant, excessive, and mostly unrealistic worrying over everyday issues. For those with the disorder, also known as GAD, they often experience feelings of exaggerated tension and worry. They expect a negative outcome on most situations even when no reason for concern is apparent. These people anticipate disaster in many areas of their lives. They may be overly worried about their health, their money, their family, work, or just about any other issue. GAD is often diagnosed by a healthcare professional when the person shows symptoms of excessive worrying for 6 months or longer.
 
Generally, there are two treatment options for generalized anxiety disorder. They are medication and/or cognitive-behavioral therapy. Patients often benefit most when these treatments are combined. Your doctor may need to experiment with these options to find what will work for you.
 
There are many types of medications used in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder:
  • Antidepressants. These drugs influence brain activity. They work on the brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) which many believe play an important role in anxiety disorders. Some common antidepressants used for treating generalized anxiety disorder are: paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), sertaline (Zoloft), escitalopram (Lexapro), venlafaxine (Effexor) and imipramine (Tofranil).
  • Benzodiazepines. These are sedatives and use in limited circumstances. They are short-term remedies for anxiety symptoms. They include: lorazepam (Ativan), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide (Librium) as well as alprazolam (Xanax). Benzodiazepines are normally used for reducing acute anxiety symptoms on a short-term level. They must be taken carefully as they may be habit forming. They also have several side effects. These include: drowsiness, reduction in muscle coordination, problems with balance, and problems with memory.
  • Buspirone (BuSpar). This drug is an anti-anxiety medication and it can be used long-term. As is true with other antidepressants, full effectiveness of the drug may take several weeks. A feeling of being light-headed is a common side effect for buspirone right after ingesting the med. Other common side effects are: nausea, headache, nervousness and perhaps insomnia.
 
Addiction to anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines is always a concern and must be monitored. The side effects associated with antidepressants will vary from drug to drug and person to person. Generally, side effects often include weight gain, sleepiness, and, in some cases, sexual problems.
 

Cognitive & Relaxation Therapies for GAD

Therapy plays an important role in treating generalized anxiety disorder. This is sometimes called "talk" therapy. Psychotherapy and counseling deal with the underlying stresses, worries, and concerns the person has. It also works on making behavior changes so the person can better deal with life in general. Recent studies have shown that therapy can be just as effective as medication. There are no side effects associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) therapy.
 
Generalized anxiety disorder is also treated with cognitive behavioral therapy. It is a very common type of psychotherapy, but is considered a short-term treatment. With cognitive behavioral therapy the doctor concentrates on teaching the patient specific life skills in order to identify negative patterns of both thought and behavior, replacing them with new positive thoughts and behaviors. This can help you learn ways to reduce worry and stress and to take control over your daily life.
 
You may also be taught relaxation techniques. These might include deep breathing exercises as well as biofeedback. Both of these are effective in relieve muscle tension which is often a part of GAD. The length of time that one stays in therapy treatment will vary from one person to the next. Generally, though, anxiety therapies are usually short-term in nature. Most techniques that you will learn from your doctor can be performed at home, day or night.
 

More resources on Generalized Anxiety Disorder: