Generalized anxiety, what it is and how it manifests itself

We all know what anxiety is because we've tried it several times. Anxiety is an unpleasant state of mind that is accompanied by symptoms of various kinds, more or less annoying.

There is a physiological and normal anxiety that we experience in particular situations, for example when we have to face an exam or find ourselves in a condition of real threat.

Then there is a pathological anxiety, an anxious feeling, that is, disproportionate to the extent of the real danger or a feeling of constant anguish and a feeling of imminent danger. Anxiety disorders are numerous; generalized anxiety disorder is one of them.

Generalized anxiety, the definition

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, also known as DSM (from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ), is one of the main tools used by doctors and psychologists for the definition of psychiatric disorders.

To understand exactly what generalized anxiety is and how it manifests itself, let us summarize, by simplifying to make it easier for non-experts to understand, the diagnostic criteria contained in DSM-IV, that is, in the fourth edition of the manual just quoted.

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Generalized anxiety: the diagnosis

According to the DSM-IV, in order to talk about generalized anxiety disorder, the diagnostic criteria are the following :

Excessive anxiety and worry that occur almost every day for at least six months, and concern different activities, for example school and work performance.
Difficulty in controlling worries.
Anxiety is associated with at least three of the following symptoms (in adults) and at least one (in children): restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating or memory lapses, irritability, muscle tension, sleep disorders.
The object of anxiety and worry is not limited to the characteristics of another anxiety disorder, for example having panic attacks (as in panic disorder), feeling embarrassed in public (as in social phobia) and having the concern constant and unjustified to suffer from a serious illness (as in hypochondria).
Anxiety and worry cause clinically significant distress and have a strong negative impact on social and / or work life.
Anxiety disorder is not caused by external factors, for example the use of drugs or drugs that can cause generalized anxiety or the presence of diseases such as hyperthyroidism.

Generalized anxiety, symptoms

In summary, therefore, those who suffer from generalized anxiety are constantly and often unjustifiably worried about something.

The somatic component of generalized anxiety includes numerous symptoms including above all palpitations, sweating, wheezing, dry mouth, sensation of lump in the throat and hot flushes, but often also symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract such as diarrhea, nausea and meteorism, and symptoms related to muscle tension, such as neck and / or back pain.

In Italy, generalized anxiety disorder affects about 5% of the population .