The questions that arise about the cause and effect of Anxiety Disorders, including GAD or Generalized Anxiety Disorder, are remarkably similar from person to person. Answering these typical questions is the goal of this article.
First, however, a clearing of the air regarding what is an anxiety disorder and where does it fit in the larger spectrum of psychological disorders and psychoses. An Anxiety Disorder – and a panic attack – is a condition which arises when the pressures and stresses of everyday life combine to cause us to view ordinary issues as monumental and worthy of extreme fear – such is the case in Generalized Anxiety Disorder – to anxiety disorders driven by either a past, traumatic event – such is the case in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -or other sources of increased stress or worry. The good is that these disorders need not be permanent in nature and are certainly not mental illness. They are, however, conditions that require treatment.
Here are the most common questions about anxiety disorders – other than what is it and how can I cure it.
1. Why can’t I control my constant worry about things I know are insignificant issues? The answer here is that control is possible with the right tools. Why this looping of occurrence, focus-on-issue, visualize-negative-outcome possibilities, and fixate on the most extreme, tends to exist is that your conscious mind is seeking a solution in a cognitive way, while your subconscious is replaying past outcomes that may have been worse than predicted. The result is that there is an unresolved outcome of the anxiety episode – setting you up for another and another.
2. Why do I feel so strange – almost like I’m involved in an out-of-body experience? The answer to this question is contained within basic human mind functionality. Extreme, constant anxiety and fear cause your mind to become detached and seeking rest from unresolved questions – at the same time that your subconscious tirelessly continues feeding your cognitive processes with illogical probabilities. The end result is that your conscious mind will zone out, causing you to feel like you’re not really there – producing the ‘out-of-body’ feeling you’re referring to.
3. Is my condition noticeable to others and can it harm my family or relationships? The effect of your condition may indeed bring about negative effects -including an anxiety attack – in your life but not the episodes themselves. Are your episodes or predisposition to ponder negative thoughts obvious to others? Probably to some degree but this is not very high on the list of priorities unless it alters your work performance.