How Do You Help With Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

We all worry at some point in our lives, especially in stressful or threatening situations. However, there are people whose anxiety is excessive, frequent and difficult to control. In these cases, they may have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

People with this disorder worry excessively in everyday situations. They even feel uncomfortable with minor circumstances, such as being late for an appointment. This can affect their social relationships, work and school.

That’s why it’s vital that they get the right support and treatment. If you know someone with this condition, here’s how to help them feel better.

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

The American Psychological Association defines it as excessive anxiety and worry about a series of life events. Adults with this disorder are often concerned about work tasks, health, finances, family and household chores. For children, they worry about how they are doing in school.

The main features of this condition are that anxiety and worry are difficult to manage. Likewise, the intensity, duration, and frequency of the fear are disproportionate to the severity of the event.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5) states that to accurately diagnose this disorder, excessive anxiety and worry must be present for at least 6 months.

In addition, they have the following mental and physical complaints:

• Restlessness, nervousness or feeling trapped.
• Fatigue.
• Concentration problems and insomnia.
• Irritability.
• muscle tension.

How can you help someone with generalized anxiety disorder?

Having a generalized anxiety disorder causes suffering. Therefore, the support of those around them is essential to help them feel better.

However, many people do not know how to provide the right help. It’s common for family and friends to step in because they think they’re helping, but they accidentally make things worse. So keep these tips in mind to avoid this.

Find out how it feels

It starts with asking them what they feel and how they feel. It’s normal for them to reply, “I’m fine.” However, if you notice that they are tense or agitated, you can let them know they don’t look like they’re okay. It’s about knowing what they’re experiencing and not taking it from our own perspective.

Listen and be empathetic

When communicating their emotions, feelings, and thoughts, don’t interrupt or give unnecessary advice. If you do intervene, try to give empathetic responses.

A common mistake is ignoring their pain. Sometimes we try to help by saying, “Don’t worry” or “Shut up.” This kind of response, even if you mean well, doesn’t help their situation.

Validate their feelings

Being empathetic means understanding, legitimizing and validating the other person’s feelings. Don’t blame or downplay what they feel. For example, one way to do this is to tell them that you have also experienced fear and know how difficult it can be.

Stay calm

Another common mistake is getting mad at the anxious person or worrying about their fear. The best thing you can do is stay calm to help them calm down.

To do this, it’s best to talk calmly, relax your body, and let them know you’re there to help. However, it is normal for those who are close to the person with anxiety to feel frustrated and exhausted in the process. If you feel this way, seek help. It’s hard to be a support figure when you’re not well yourself.

Encourage the other to seek professional help

When it comes to someone who has not received professional care and diagnosis, support from loved ones is essential in taking that first step. Look up the contacts of specialists ( psychologists, psychiatrists or mental health care ) and offer them.

If they don’t want help from a professional, don’t force them to make that decision. One way to convince them is to learn about the available treatments and show them the benefits if they choose to use one of them.

Come with them to the treatment

Try to offer help regularly, even if there is already support from a specialist. Support from close people has been shown to help patients feel better.

Learn About Generalized Anxiety Disorder to Help

There are numerous studies on generalized anxiety disorder. Ideally, you should learn as much as you can about its symptoms, treatments, and prevention. The more you know, the better you handle the situation and the better you can provide help.

Helping with Generalized Anxiety Disorder is an Important Task

Generalized anxiety disorder can be difficult to diagnose. The symptoms are not focused on a single problem. Also, nervousness is usually moderate, chronic and there are no panic attacks. In general, it is a feeling of concern that we all have at one time or another.

However, there are differences from ordinary concerns. This is in fact less serious and you can put it aside to worry about other more immediate things.

On the other hand, Generalized Anxiety Disorder is difficult to manage and often starts without an obvious cause. While some patients can describe what makes them nervous, others cannot.

Many people with this condition have lived with symptoms for years without seeking professional help. In these cases, their case may be serious. Clinical care is then essential to achieve well-being.