Generalised Anxiety Disorder
All of us are anxious from time to time. And many of us have some things we worry about. People who experience generalized anxiety, however, worry about many things, frequently, and to a great degree. Years ago, people who experienced generalized anxiety disorder were said to be worrywarts.
Generalized anxiety disorder doesn't mean your anxiety is worse than other types, but that you worry about more things and more often.
Generalized anxiety disorder also doesn't mean there is something medically, biologically, chemically, or genetically wrong. It means you haven't learned healthy ways of dealing with adversity, uncertainty, and risk. So, you worry!
Anxiety is NOT a random, unknown, or uncontrollable disease or illness that you develop, inherit, or contract. Anxiety results from a certain style of behaviour.
More specifically, we create the physiological, psychological, and emotional state of being anxious when we behave in an apprehensive manner, such as being worried, fretful, and/or concerned.
Anxiety is a result of a behaviour. Anxiety is not an “it,” disease, or illness.
Everyone experiences anxiety to some degree. And most people have panic attacks at some point in their lives. So anxiety is not bad. It’s just a physiological, psychological, and emotional outcome when we behave in an apprehensive manner.
For example, Webster’s dictionary defines anxiety as:
- A state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties.
- A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning.
Once again, anxiety is NOT a disease or illness. It’s a physiological, psychological, and emotional state that results when we behave apprehensively.