When someone is suffering from GAD, the anxiety felt is always present, they become anxious about everything, no matter how small and insignificant it can be. This causes the person to be on constant alert. This level of alertness can result in numerous symptoms such as lightheadedness, headaches, irritability, muscle pain and fatigue. In adults, GAD is the most common anxiety disorder. One could possibly be diagnosed with GAD after having suffered from daily anxiety for six months or more. One who is diagnosed with GAD experiences a change in appearances. They tend to look strained, sweating of the hands, feet, and axillae, and they tend to be depressed. Since these symptoms can be found over many different causes, physicians must rule out any medical reason for the anxiety, such as drugs and alcohol. In children, GAD tends to surface about the age of eight or nine. It is followed with heart palpitations, abdominal pain, headaches, and …show more content…
These attacks seem to come out of nowhere; however, they can last for some time. The attack can cause the sufferer to sweat profusely and shake, they can feel their hearts racing, and their breath comes in pants – like they cannot find the space to bring in more air. The American Psychological Association defines these panic attacks as “fear of discomfort that abruptly arises and peaks in less than ten minutes, can last for hours.” The specific cause of these attacks is not always known. A diagnosis for panic disorder involves the attacks have chronic penalties, whether it is worry over the attack’s implications and the fear of future attacks, or significant behavioral changes related to the outcome of the attacks. For some people, the panic attacks cause their heart rate to increase, which then causes the person to believe that there is something wrong with their heart, causing another attack. In other attacks, there is a heightened awareness of one’s bodily functions – hypervigilance. This is perceived as a possible lethal