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Generalized Anxiety Disorder: What is it and How Can You Cope? At Star Point Counseling Center in Tampa FL, Brandon FL, Riverview FL, Valrico FL, Seffner FL, and Hyde Park FL.


in Tampa FL, Brandon FL, Riverview FL, Valrico FL, Seffner FL, and Hyde Park FL, Near Me
Anxiety

We are all feeling the stress of the unknowns and what-ifs and contentious different beliefs. But what if your anxiety in Tampa FL, Brandon FL, Riverview FL, Valrico FL, Seffner FL, and Hyde Park FL, is more than that?


Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental health diagnosis, according to the National Institute of mental Heath. Anxiety disorders in Tampa FL, Brandon FL, Riverview FL, Valrico FL, Seffner FL, and Hyde Park FL, can interfere with daily life activities such as job or school performance, social interactions, sleep quality, and appetite.


SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by the inability to control spiraling thoughts of intense worry and fear. It’s conditional on having symptoms on more days than not for at least six months. Women are twice as likely to have it.


Anxiety in Tampa FL, Brandon FL, Riverview FL, Valrico FL, Seffner FL, and Hyde Park FL, develops gradually over time and can begin at any point in life; typically symptoms are present by the teenage years. Most people who receive an anxiety diagnosis in adulthood can look back and identify ways anxiety has been a part of their life since they can remember.


Signs and symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Tampa FL, Brandon FL, Riverview FL, Valrico FL, Seffner FL, and Hyde Park FL, may include: excessive worry about every day things, difficulty controlling the worry even when you realize it is excessive, feeling restless/difficulty sitting still, difficulty concentrating, feeling tired more often than not, irritability and anger, feeling “on edge,” racing thoughts, difficulty sleeping, psychosomatic symptoms including stomach aches, muscle tension, racing heart, sweating, and other unexplained pains.


Symptoms may get better or worse at different times, but the worry is typically always there.


CAUSES & TREATMENT

Anxiety can run in families and be caused by incorrect amounts of certain chemicals in the brain. It is unclear why some family members have anxiety in Tampa FL, Brandon FL, Riverview FL, Valrico FL, Seffner FL, and Hyde Park FL, while others do not. Environmental factors and personality characteristics also play a role.


Treatment options include psychotherapy, medication or a combination of the two. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been proven to be highly effective for anxiety, which identifies and shifts a person’s thoughts and how they respond to stressful situations. Medication that is helpful includes selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (such as Zoloft or Prozac), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (such as Effexor or Cymbalta), and benzodiazepines (such as Xanax or Valium). Each of these medications works differently, so it’s important to be open with your doctor about your history and what anxiety symptoms you are experiencing. Medication for anxiety is highly effective and can greatly improve a person’s quality of life if appropriate for the level of anxiety in Tampa FL, Brandon FL, Riverview FL, Valrico FL, Seffner FL, and Hyde Park FL, they are experiencing. For more information on medication consult with your doctor.


As with any difficult symptom, making sure you are getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising can increase your chances of being successful with managing anxiety.



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