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Generalized Anxiety-When one should think of therapy?
Do you suffer from bouts of anxiety attacks? Then discriminate the type of your anxiety. Generalized anxiety is much debilitating compared to localized or specific anxiety disorder. Localized anxiety for which there is a direction or specified situation working as aggravating factor can be easily and effectively intervened. More or less accurate and appropriate diagnostic and remedial measures can be selected in accordance with the nature of the symptoms revealed. Generalized anxiety is in lack of such facility.
There are so many reasons that lead to GAD which can be biological, situational, socio cultural etc. But if we observe closely we can see that GAD passes through two stages in its development. In the beginning stage GAD will be marked by self observable distorted cognitions that predispose the onset of anxiety. Patient will have a tendency to misinterpret situations and their perceived consequences as something threatening. After this beginning stage patient slowly enter into a second stage in which he is not able to observe his own distorted cognitions objectively. In other words, these distorted cognitions take their control over the patient.
During the first stage if the patient recognize that he is in the grip of anxiety he can come out of it very easily even if there is no additional help from a therapist. What he needed is training his mind to relax using techniques like yoga meditation etc.
Research results show that GAD does not have independent existence. It co-exist with depression, insomnia, stress, PSTD, substance abuse etc. So any negative situation can bring forth symptoms of GAD.
Once the patient enters into second stage a professional intervention is a must. Therapist or counselor can help the patient to detect distorted cognitions and design strategies for rectification.
According to research results in neurology, imbalances in brain chemistry are observed in any kind of anxiety disorder. That means, we can approach anxiety disorders without medication only up to some level of its severity. Once it is found that psychological approaches are ineffective, it is desirable to resort to medication. As, restoring chemical balance is the pre-requisite for the success of therapeutic interventions.
But never build up a dependency on the medicine. Once medicine helped to restore the chemical imbalance-whatever be the nature of imbalance- slowly the patient and his cognitions should take charge of one’s own condition. Restore your cognitive pattern by your will and endurance. Be ready to unlearn the old way of thinking perceiving. An efficient therapist will assist you in this.
Yet, there is an unsettled argument whether it is the imbalance in brain chemistry that leads to distorted cognitions or is it vice versa. If it is the wrong cognitions that disrupts chemical imbalance you can recover soon with the help of behavioral therapies. If it is the chemical imbalance that predisposes anxiety provoking thoughts you will have to undergo somewhat long term treatment.
In any case diagnostic process is very subtle and planned interventions are very sensitive. Patient’s relief and recovery depends largely on the dexterity of therapist.