Applied Psychology Psychology Essay Research Coursework

Applied Psychology
Name Course Instructor Date
The disorder
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (2020) identifies the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as one of the anxiety disorders together with panic disorder, and phobia-related disorders. People with the disorder tend to worry excessively or feel nervous, where the anxiety affects daily activities and even functioning (Mossman et al., 2016). Significant anxiety and excessive worry or apprehension last for at least 6 months and there is an inability to control worry.
Possible causes
There is no known cause of generalized anxiety disorder, but some studies show that hereditary (genetic) and environmental factors increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders. Thus, if there is a family history of mental illnesses, and exposure to stress and negative events during childhood there is a higher risk. Some medications, health conditions such as thyroid problems, and shyness traits also increase the risk (NIMH, 2020).
Signs and symptoms
One of the main symptoms is significant anxiety and excessive worry or apprehension lasting 6 months and an individual person cannot control their worry. This is accompanied by other symptoms like restlessness, frequent fatigue, difficulty concentrating and irritability, muscle tension, sleep disorders, and other symptoms that cause significant clinical distress, which interfere with work or social life. Nonspecific somatic symptoms include headache, insomnia, muscle aches, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues.
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