If individuals find it difficult to break the anxiety cycle, the problems can become chronic. It is
very likely that individuals with generalized anxiety disorder have had long-standing difficulties
with managing anxiety, sometimes for months or even years. Some of the results of feeling
anxious over a long time include:
· feeling restless or keyed up or on edge
· being easily tired
· difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
· irritability
· muscle tension
· trouble falling or staying asleep
· restless unsatisfying sleep
· feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope
· feeling depressed or demoralized
When you experience these problems, the anxiety has begun to interfere with your everyday
life. Because anxiety is a normal, in-built, and at times useful response, you will never banish it
completely from your life, but the good news is that you can learn to manage and control it.
Why Do the Symptoms of Tension and Anxiety Begin?
The reason why you have become anxious is probably due to a combination of causes. We will
briefly consider some possible causes.
The effect of personality
Personality refers to the usual way we react, feel, and behave year in and year out. Most people
who seek treatment for an anxiety disorder have come to regard themselves as nervous, not just
because of their high levels of anxiety, but because they consider themselves to be people who
are usually sensitive, emotional, and worry easily. There are advantages to being like this, for
the sensitivity means you can understand other people quickly and hence are often liked in
return. It also probably means that you like to do things properly and treat other people well.
But the emotionality and the proneness to worry are the seeds from which anxiety can grow.
The various strategies that we will teach you will aid you to control this aspect of your
personality. If you do become upset and worry easily, then you'll need to become particularly
expert in remaining alert, tense, but in control to prevent you becoming too anxious in the face
of difficulties.
The effect of life events and stressors
Anxiety may begin at a time when you are experiencing a high level of stress. Throughout our
lives, we are constantly adjusting to demands placed upon us by changing circumstances.
Making an important decision, meeting a deadline, changing jobs or routines, dealing with
others in our lives all require constant adjustments. However, at times you may experience asingle major problem, or several smaller problems, that may exceed your normal powers of
adaptation. When high levels of stress occur, anxiety can result if they produce in you a sense of
threat and lack of control.
The effect of your view of the world
Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder have an increased tendency - compared to
individuals without an anxiety disorder - to automatically interpret information in their lives as
threatening. For example, the ringing telephone is less likely to be considered with pleased
anticipation of a friend ringing for a chat, but more likely to be viewed with alarm as news of an
accident. Or a frown on the face of a supervisor at work is less likely to be viewed as the
supervisor’s personal problem, but more likely to viewed as a sign of disapproval. This view of
the world is thought to develop from previous life experiences, which might include the impact
of stressful life events, or the messages received from parents and other important people in
your life.
The Nature of Worry.
Worry is a central feature of generalized anxiety disorder. Most people can identify with the
idea of ‘worry’, but scientists have defined the following features in the worry of individuals
with generalized anxiety disorder:
· is usually a stream of thoughts or ideas;
· is accompanied by feelings of apprehension or anxiety;
· concerns future events and catastrophes;
· interferes with the ability to think clearly;
· is very difficult to control.
Research has shown that the typical person with generalized anxiety disorder can spend over
half of their waking hours worrying. In most instances, the individual can recognize, with
hindsight, that the worry was excessive and out of proportion to the actual event that triggered
the worry.
A large number of worries tend to focus on day-to-day concerns, most typically:
· family and home life
· relationships
· work and study
· illness or injury
· finances
Common themes of worry in generalized anxiety disorder can include:
· problems arising in the future
· perfectionism and a fear of failure
· fear of being negatively evaluated by others
It is clear that individuals with generalized anxiety disorder largely worry about events that are
remote (as opposed to in the immediate future) and which are unlikely to happen. This sort of
worry is rarely helpful as it is unlikely to promote effective problem solving. For example,
very likely that individuals with generalized anxiety disorder have had long-standing difficulties
with managing anxiety, sometimes for months or even years. Some of the results of feeling
anxious over a long time include:
· feeling restless or keyed up or on edge
· being easily tired
· difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
· irritability
· muscle tension
· trouble falling or staying asleep
· restless unsatisfying sleep
· feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope
· feeling depressed or demoralized
When you experience these problems, the anxiety has begun to interfere with your everyday
life. Because anxiety is a normal, in-built, and at times useful response, you will never banish it
completely from your life, but the good news is that you can learn to manage and control it.
Why Do the Symptoms of Tension and Anxiety Begin?
The reason why you have become anxious is probably due to a combination of causes. We will
briefly consider some possible causes.
The effect of personality
Personality refers to the usual way we react, feel, and behave year in and year out. Most people
who seek treatment for an anxiety disorder have come to regard themselves as nervous, not just
because of their high levels of anxiety, but because they consider themselves to be people who
are usually sensitive, emotional, and worry easily. There are advantages to being like this, for
the sensitivity means you can understand other people quickly and hence are often liked in
return. It also probably means that you like to do things properly and treat other people well.
But the emotionality and the proneness to worry are the seeds from which anxiety can grow.
The various strategies that we will teach you will aid you to control this aspect of your
personality. If you do become upset and worry easily, then you'll need to become particularly
expert in remaining alert, tense, but in control to prevent you becoming too anxious in the face
of difficulties.
The effect of life events and stressors
Anxiety may begin at a time when you are experiencing a high level of stress. Throughout our
lives, we are constantly adjusting to demands placed upon us by changing circumstances.
Making an important decision, meeting a deadline, changing jobs or routines, dealing with
others in our lives all require constant adjustments. However, at times you may experience asingle major problem, or several smaller problems, that may exceed your normal powers of
adaptation. When high levels of stress occur, anxiety can result if they produce in you a sense of
threat and lack of control.
The effect of your view of the world
Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder have an increased tendency - compared to
individuals without an anxiety disorder - to automatically interpret information in their lives as
threatening. For example, the ringing telephone is less likely to be considered with pleased
anticipation of a friend ringing for a chat, but more likely to be viewed with alarm as news of an
accident. Or a frown on the face of a supervisor at work is less likely to be viewed as the
supervisor’s personal problem, but more likely to viewed as a sign of disapproval. This view of
the world is thought to develop from previous life experiences, which might include the impact
of stressful life events, or the messages received from parents and other important people in
your life.
The Nature of Worry.
Worry is a central feature of generalized anxiety disorder. Most people can identify with the
idea of ‘worry’, but scientists have defined the following features in the worry of individuals
with generalized anxiety disorder:
· is usually a stream of thoughts or ideas;
· is accompanied by feelings of apprehension or anxiety;
· concerns future events and catastrophes;
· interferes with the ability to think clearly;
· is very difficult to control.
Research has shown that the typical person with generalized anxiety disorder can spend over
half of their waking hours worrying. In most instances, the individual can recognize, with
hindsight, that the worry was excessive and out of proportion to the actual event that triggered
the worry.
A large number of worries tend to focus on day-to-day concerns, most typically:
· family and home life
· relationships
· work and study
· illness or injury
· finances
Common themes of worry in generalized anxiety disorder can include:
· problems arising in the future
· perfectionism and a fear of failure
· fear of being negatively evaluated by others
It is clear that individuals with generalized anxiety disorder largely worry about events that are
remote (as opposed to in the immediate future) and which are unlikely to happen. This sort of
worry is rarely helpful as it is unlikely to promote effective problem solving. For example,
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