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Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder
(GAD) is characterized by persistent and consuming feelings of
nervousness, tension, and apprehension. The individual is preoccupied
with worries that strike others as excessive and without sufficient
cause. Restlessness, irritability, and sleep difficulties are also
common features of GAD. Physical manifestations of GAD include pain or
pressure in the chest, butterflies or discomfort in the stomach,
trembling, sweating not brought on by heat, and feeling tired.
Cognitive Therapy Treatment for
GAD
Cognitive therapy teaches
clients specific techniques to reduce worry and alleviate physical
symptoms that accompany GAD. Cognitive strategies help clients
interrupt their constant worrying and evaluate the likelihood and
severity of the negative predictions in their thinking. Relaxation
strategies enable clients to counteract the unpleasant physical
manifestations of anxiety. Mindfulness strategies help the client live
more in the present rather than in their imagined, threatening future.
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SM