Acupuncture - Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Symptoms

Anxiety can appear unexpectedly. It can also be common with stress or during early stages of illness and it usually subsides with time. However, when anxiety is persistent, it becomes distressing and interferes with life. Medical management is then necessary and treatment usually requires specific attention.

Keep in mind that, here, generalized anxiety is chronic anxiety associated with worry. In contrast, episodic attacks of severe anxiety can cause symptoms of panic disorder

The chronic condition Generalised Anxiety is manifested with apprehension, fears, tensions or uneasiness that may be focused (phobia) or "free-floating". Free-floating means a general sense of ill-defined dread or impending doom.

Anxiety can make diagnosis of a disease difficult because symptoms of anxiety can complicate the presentation of an underlying physical illness. On the other hand, several physical conditions can initially manifest with anxiety before symptoms and signs of the disease develop. So if you are going to consult a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, you must choose one with sufficient experience and training.

In general, this disorder lacks a specific traumatic event or focus for concern. Excessive anxiety and worry, which sufferers can find hard to control, can be caused by a number of events or activities.

People suffer from anxiety either psychologically or somatically (physically). The disturbance causes significant distress and impairs social, occupational, or other important functions. At least three of the following symptoms listed below are present:

In brief, the symptoms of anxiety are listed below. But for more details please see also Symptoms of Anxiety.

• Feeling restless, keyed up, or on edge
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Easily fatigued
• Difficulty in concentrating or the mind goes blank
• Difficulty in falling or staying asleep, or restless, unsatisfying sleep

The symptoms range from mild, chronic tenseness, with feelings of timidity, fatigue, apprehension, and indecisiveness, to more intense states of restlessness and irritability that may lead to aggressive acts, persistent helplessness, or withdrawl.

In extreme cases, the overwhelming emotional discomfort is accompanied by physical responses, including tremor, sustained muscle tension, tachycardia, dyspnoea, hypertension, increased respiration, and profuse perspiration.

Other physical signs include changes in skin colour, nausea, vomiting, dirrhoea, restlessness, immobilisation, insomnia and changes in appetite, all occuring without identification of a known underlying organic cause.

Anxiety disorders cause great distress and impair function, but those affected are not psychotic. The disorders are distinguished by either the symptoms, the entities feared or the stressors. Please see also the following as the links become available:

• Acute stress disorder
• Post traumatic stress disorder

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Dr Pier Tsui-Po Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine Clinic
Berwick Specialist Suites,
Level 1, Suite 8, 50 Kangan Drive, Berwick 3806,
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Telephone: 9796 2388