Why do I feel so anxious all the time?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a condition that affects up to 5% of the US population at any given time. Women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed, though researchers are beginning to cast doubt on that statistic, citing that men are more likely to lie about or try to hide their anxiety.
Normal anxiety is being worried about a specific problem. This anxiety is perfectly normal, and is experienced by healthy individuals. When the source of anxiety goes away, so does the anxiety. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is when you feel anxious and nervous, no matter what. You always seem to have cause to be anxious, not matter how tiny or unimportant it may be. When this anxiety begins to impact your day to day life, you know that you may have a problem, and it may be time to seek treatment.
Generalized anxiety disorder is often accompanied by headaches, drowsiness, or a general lethargic feeling. People with the condition often believe that what they are feeling is perfectly normal, as they’ve been experiencing it their entire lives. Often, they’ll treat just the symptoms, taking painkillers for the headaches, and becoming addicted to coffee for a daily pick-me-up. This can compound the problem, as caffeine can intensify feelings of anxiety.
Anxiety is often coupled with warning signs such as depression, alcoholism, and personality disorder. It can also lead to more serious complications like obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, and acute social anxiety. Doctors are also trained to look for causes to the anxiety, such as post traumatic stress.
Be careful about drugs and other possible chemical causes to your anxiety. Amphetamines and some illegal drugs such as cocaine can give you a temporary high, but are ultimately likely to increase your feelings of anxiety. Substance abuse can often be a self perpetuating cycle, as the user is likely to self-medicate his or her anxiety with more drugs for a short term solution, but ultimately causing more long term aggravation.
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