Case Study 1: Amy, age 38, is a worrier. She is restless, irritable and has difficulty concentrating. She worries that she worries so much and isn’t always sure what it is that she is worried about. She can’t let her husband or children leave the house without making them call her regularly to reassure her that they are ok. Her husband is growing weary of her fretting. Her children can’t understand what all the fuss is about. Their impatience with her only makes her worry more.


Amy has Generalized Anxiety Disorder. With this disorder, there are six main symptoms: (1) restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge (2) being easily fatigued (3) difficulty concentrating or mind going blank (4) irritability (5) muscle tension (6) sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless unsatisfying sleep) . Amy has atleast three of the above. She is always restless, she has difficulty concentrating, and she is very irritable. With Generalized Anxiety Disorder, the patient finds it difficult to control their worries, and, at times, the patient worries about how much they are worrying. This shows the extent to which this disorder causes problems with the patient. This disorder does not only cause problems for the patient, it also causes problems to the people that are around the patient. It can be very stressful and frustrating to always have to deal with the worry-er.

There are a couple of ways to treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The first, which might not always be the best would be to give the patient anti-depressants. These might be effective, but they might cause future problems with dependence. Psychotherapy might also be an option, depending on the case; the two can even be combined. Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, might also be recommended. Lastly, the patient should try to avoid substances that trigger anxiety such as caffeine.

Source: http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/symptoms_remedies/generalized_anxiety_disorder/75-1.html

http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/gad.htm