squish is me said:
I am a self diagnosed GAD.
Dear Squish,
The comment of being self-diagnosed always troubles me. It does sound as if you probably have GAD though I don't know you at all. The thing is there ARE options for treating this. I have chronic underlying GAD. Have basically had it my whole life, down to the sore aching muscles. I had them as a child.
Section 15. Psychiatric Disorders
Chapter 187. Anxiety Disorders
Topics
[General]
- Panic Attacks And Panic Disorder
- Phobic Disorders
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
- Acute Stress Disorder
-
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Anxiety Due To A Physical Disorder Or A Substance
http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/CVMH...&word=disorder&domain=www.merck.com#hl_anchor
Dreamer's comments:
My guess is that many of of here on the Board have Panic, GAD,
Anxiety due to a Substance. Our DP/DR are extreme symptoms of the
fight/flight response that seems to have gone awry in these anxiety
disorders.
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is NOT obsessive thinking.
Two completely different things. And regardless of what many will
argue with me about, these categories are rather specific. There
can be overlap of symptoms, but these are different DISORDERs which
need to be dealt with differently.
And we can't pidgeonhole. We are each unique and we can have more
than one disorder. My illness has evolved over 46 years.
Merck Manual
Also see the DSM-IV
----------------------------------------------------------
GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER (I had this much worse up until my
40s, though I still have these qualities though far from this
intense)
"Excessive, almost daily, anxiety and worry for >= 6 mo about a
number of activities or events.
Generalized anxiety disorder is common, affecting 3 to 5% of the
population within a 1-yr period. Women are twice as likely to be
affected as men. The disorder often begins in childhood or
adolescence but may begin at any age.
Symptoms and Signs
The anxiety and worry are so great that they are difficult to
control. The severity, frequency, or duration of the worry greatly
exceeds what the situation, if it should occur, warrants.
The focus of the worry is not restricted as it is in other psychiatric
disorders (eg, to having a panic attack, being embarrassed in
public, or being contaminated).
Common worries include work
responsibilities, money, health, safety, car repairs, and chores.
A person with this disorder must also experience three or more
of the following symptoms: restlessness, unusual fatigability,
difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and
disturbed sleep. The course is usually fluctuating and chronic,
with worsening during stress."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dreamer's Comments:
What I have found most successful in dealing with GAD is
medication (klonopin, Celexa, Lamictal for mood problems), some psychotherapy to give me perspective, and CBT to
give me coping skills. This is all hard work.
The main thing is to be aware of the distinctions of these
illnesses and different ways of dealing with them.
Regardless of how many clueless MHPs there are out there,
getting a proper diagnosis is probably the most important thing one
can do. Then one can treat the illness appropriately... or at least you have a fighting chance. This is
key in ALL medical illnesses.
As E.Fuller Torrey, M.D. (famous, respected expert in schizophrenia) always says ...
"Spend all of your money on the right diagnosis."
IMHO, that's the only way you're going to get the proper treatment plan/options, etc. And you need to shop around.
Best,
D 8)
Also, EDIT: You will note one of the symptoms of GAD is worry about health. That is a SYMPTOM of GAD, not a SYMPTOM of DP/DR. DP/DR are SYMPTOMS of GAD for example.... extreme symptoms of an anxiety disorder. It's all a mish mash, as I understand it, and it still isn't understood well by the medical/research community.
I may be full of it, but this is my understanding.......
YMMV 8)
