Generalized Anxiety Disorder
It’s natural to worry about things like your family, job, or finances. But if stress creeps into every aspect of your life until you can no longer control it, you may have generalized anxiety disorder. Without treatment, your anxiety can increase to a point where all your thoughts are irrationally negative.
What Causes GAD?
Some researchers believe anxiety served a crucial evolutionary purpose by keeping early humans alert and aware of potential threats. In a way, anxiety is your brain’s way of preparing you to deal with the worst-case scenario. However, GAD can ultimately be maladaptive if it prevents you from coping with your stress and leading a fulfilling, healthy life.
No single factor is solely responsible for causing the pessimism and fear of generalized anxiety disorder. Instead, you may develop it due to a complex interplay of variables such as your genetics, brain function, personality, environment, upbringing, and lifestyle choices such as substance use. Chronic illness and disability can also trigger GAD.
Common Physical Symptoms of Anxiety
If you have GAD, you probably know your worries are out of proportion to what most situations call for, but you still cannot stop your racing thoughts. While each person with GAD has a unique experience, the chronic stress of generalized anxiety disorder commonly manifests in physical and emotional symptoms such as:
- High blood pressure
- Insomnia
- Weight gain
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Muscle tension
- Sweating and shaking
- Fatigue
- Headaches and body aches
- Irritability
- Panic attacks
- Trouble concentrating
- Feeling on edge and unable to relax
How to Receive a GAD Diagnosis
GAD frequently co-occurs with other mental health conditions, including PTSD, social anxiety disorder, clinical depression, phobias, or substance use disorder. Though a dual diagnosis can be challenging to diagnose and treat, you can and should take steps to learn how to get your anxiety under control.
At Amend Wellness, we have created an integrative healing retreat from daily stress, anxiety, and negativity. We combine cutting-edge technology and evidence-based therapies with holistic options like vitamin infusions, group workshops, meditation and sound healing, and adventures.
When you arrive, our clinicians will work with you to evaluate your mental, physical, nutritional, hormonal, and emotional state and develop a plan that gets to the heart of your needs, restoring your physical, psychological, and spiritual balance. If you have generalized anxiety disorder, learn how to transform your life by contacting our team today.
Science-Backed GAD Treatment
At Amend Wellness, we understand how disruptive and destructive PTSD can be. We have created a nonjudgmental, welcoming environment that provides an ideal setting for healing. During emotional stabilization, our clinicians will work with you to address the underlying causes of PTSD and prepare for a restorative stay in our retreat.
The therapeutic practices we use derive from decades of peer-reviewed research. Cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, trauma-informed therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing have all proven successful at treating PTSD and giving people a new outlook on life. To learn how you can find relief and holistic wellness, get in touch with us today.