When Does GAD Start?
The problem with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), especially when it is undiagnosed, is that the more you tend to run away from it, the more it seems to gain on you.
When you chuck it on the sidelines and tell yourself that it might only be a simple case of nerves, it might mean that you are postponing your treatment, and subsequently putting off the chance to relieve yourself of the burden of stress, tension and chronic worrying.
The thing is, GAD can start as soon as someone is sufficiently aware of his surroundings.
A toddler isn't likely to worry about the stock market, or the Greek house admission, or school performance.
However, it can make anyone high-strung especially if that person is fond of concocting negative what-ifs scenarios in his head, is too hard on himself, has a strong belief that misfortune certainly lies at every corner or requires constant reassurance.
The general belief is that Generalized Anxiety Disorder can start when there is a traumatic stimulus, such as a death in the family, a chemical imbalance or a nutritional problem, in addition to the aforementioned causes of being high-strung.
It is also believed that while physical, mental and emotional stress can be a cause, it can be a trigger as well.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder can occur in childhood or in teenage years.
It is actually easier to detect on adults because people in that age range generally have an idea of what is usual and what is not, even in terms of anxiety.
Even if an adult isn't aware of the disorder, he/she would tend to seek help especially when severe anxiety starts to interfere with their work.
For children and teenagers, it can be harder to detect because people in this age group aren't as apt in recognizing that the level of their anxiety isn't really proportionate to the situation at hand.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder can also go undetected, since it isn't until recently that information campaigns were carried out to let people know that the disorder exists and that there as such as thing as too much worry.
If you have suffered from chronic, uncontrollable and excessive worrying for most of your life, chances are, you've had GAD for some time and you would also need treatment, such as cognitive behavior therapy that would let you be able to reverse the 'mechanism' that converted your mind into a constantly working worrying-machine.
GAD can be treated.
Now that you know how it starts, it is up to you to put a stop to it.
When you chuck it on the sidelines and tell yourself that it might only be a simple case of nerves, it might mean that you are postponing your treatment, and subsequently putting off the chance to relieve yourself of the burden of stress, tension and chronic worrying.
The thing is, GAD can start as soon as someone is sufficiently aware of his surroundings.
A toddler isn't likely to worry about the stock market, or the Greek house admission, or school performance.
However, it can make anyone high-strung especially if that person is fond of concocting negative what-ifs scenarios in his head, is too hard on himself, has a strong belief that misfortune certainly lies at every corner or requires constant reassurance.
The general belief is that Generalized Anxiety Disorder can start when there is a traumatic stimulus, such as a death in the family, a chemical imbalance or a nutritional problem, in addition to the aforementioned causes of being high-strung.
It is also believed that while physical, mental and emotional stress can be a cause, it can be a trigger as well.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder can occur in childhood or in teenage years.
It is actually easier to detect on adults because people in that age range generally have an idea of what is usual and what is not, even in terms of anxiety.
Even if an adult isn't aware of the disorder, he/she would tend to seek help especially when severe anxiety starts to interfere with their work.
For children and teenagers, it can be harder to detect because people in this age group aren't as apt in recognizing that the level of their anxiety isn't really proportionate to the situation at hand.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder can also go undetected, since it isn't until recently that information campaigns were carried out to let people know that the disorder exists and that there as such as thing as too much worry.
If you have suffered from chronic, uncontrollable and excessive worrying for most of your life, chances are, you've had GAD for some time and you would also need treatment, such as cognitive behavior therapy that would let you be able to reverse the 'mechanism' that converted your mind into a constantly working worrying-machine.
GAD can be treated.
Now that you know how it starts, it is up to you to put a stop to it.