Informative Post- Generalised Anxiety Disorder💛

Hey everybody! I hope you are all staying safe and well😊 Last week I posted about anxiety as a whole and touched a little bit on the types of anxiety and ways to cope.💛

I thought every week I could talk more in depth about each one, and provide resources that might help with the specific disorder I'm talking about!!

-If you want to see my previous post about anxiety as a whole, please click Here

So today I will be talking about Generalised Anxiety Disorder (Gad)!💛

-What is Generalised Anxiety Disorder?

Gad, is a long-term disorder that causes you to feel anxious about a whole range of situations/ issues, rather than just 1 particular event. Also, with Gad it tends to act one after another, so as soon as 1 anxious thought is settled, another may appear about another issue or close to the same issue as before.

-Why does this happen?

The exact cause of Gad is not fully understood, although it's likely that a mix of several factors can play a part.

-Research from Nhs (national health service) has suggested that these may include:

• Overactivity in areas of the brain involved in emotions and behaviour.

• The genes you inherit from your parents. You're estimated to be 5 times more likely to develop Gad if you have a close relative with the condition.

• Having a history of stressful or traumatic experiences.

• Having a long-term health condition.

But also we have to keep in mind that many people can develop Gad for no apparent reason, and it can just happen without any clues for what may have activated it.

-What symptoms can you get?

Generalised Anxiety Disorder can cause both mental and physical symptoms.These can change from person to person as everyone is different, but can include:

• feeling restless and/or worried

• having trouble concentrating and/or sleeping

• dizziness and/or heart palpitations

-What self-help could you do?

There are so many different ways that people can use to help with generalised anxiety disorder and not all work for everyone. If these don't work, try not to stress as there will be something out there to help you with it💛

-Here are some different ways you could try (doesn't have to be all at once):

• Calm breathing- Calm breathing involves slowing down your breathing by breathing in deeply through your nose, and exhaling slowly through your mouth. It is a quick way to reduce some of the physical feelings of anxiety in the body.

• Exercise- Exercising can be helpful for most anxiety disorders as it relieves tension and stress. It can also boost physical and mental energy, and increase well-being through the release of endorphins.

-Here are some exercise ideas:

• Walking fast or jogging

• Swimming

• Cycling

• Running

• Relaxation- Relaxing can also be effective! It helps you become calmer while doing the things you love😊

-Some relaxation methods can be:

• Listening to music

• Reading

• Watching television

- Sometimes we forget to do self-care because of many different reasons but even 10 minutes of downtime can help you regulate stress better. It can help to have a particular place where you go to unwind, this can be your bedroom, lounge, garden shed or a small corner in any room of your preference. It should be a place where you feel comfortable/safe.💛

Remember:

You are incredible, wonderful and phenomenal just the way you are. You are doing a tremendous job and I am proud of you!💛