Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD for short is usually diagnosed by a doctor through a process of elimination based on the symptoms you present. It is a hard condition to diagnose because many of the symptoms related to this problem can also be present in other conditions.

This problem involves severe anxiety over a period of at least six months but you don?t have to contend with panic attacks or other problems related to phobias and obsessions. When struggling with GAD, you have persistent, excessive worry over at least two aspects of your life although most sufferers find they deal with many more troubling thoughts.

The stress for GAD sufferers usually focuses on money, health, relationships or school or job performance. The worry that you feel is not just occasional and related to specific events like an interview or a coming promotion but persistent, excessive and time consuming.

In order to be diagnosed with this problems the anxiety needs to make you upset and interfere with your ability to maintain successful relationships or perform properly at your job. Hampering your ability to function is a key component of the diagnosis but it is also the reason this condition poses so many problems to sufferers.

Some of the symptoms of GAD include:

• Exhaustion
• Problems focusing or concentrating
• Being easily irritated
• Muscle tightness
• Problems sleeping

While this condition can affect people of any age, the focus of the anxiety tends to be different at different stages of life. Children and young adults focus their worry on academic achievement while adults may direct their stress towards finances, job performance and relationships.

The fear can be extremely damaging and negatively impact your life. Often the dread of losing control or the inability to cope with stress, failure, rejection or any other difficult feelings can lead to extreme avoidance of any situation which will cause depression in these areas.

There are ways to cope with this problem and relieve the disturbing feelings. One of the best ways is to find a method of relaxation to ease the muscle tension that is present throughout your body. Sometimes dealing with the physical aspects of anxiety can trigger the mind to release its worries as well.

A good way to relieve tense muscles is to practice yoga, meditation or progressive muscle relaxation. All of these methods of stress reduction can help your body as well as your mind cope with negative and damaging thoughts. Finding an outlet for the stress is important.

While any of these methods will work, the one you choose is dependent on your comfort level. If you are not willing to engage in a consistent program of relaxation then any positive effects will be transitory at best. Only sustained practice will lead you to healthier body and a more relaxed mind. Bertil Hjert