Psychology

According to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM) Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is classified as an anxiety disorder. GAD is characterized by continuous extreme worry that is difficult to be controlled by the patient. The most common worries related to this disorder are work responsibilities, health matters, finances, and household duties. The DSM-IV-TR explains the anxiety that characterizes GAD as being free-floating, this implies that it can manifest itself to a broad number of aspects or issues within the patients surrounding. Those suffering from GAD start worrying without being provoked any particular trigger, for instance they might begin to worry about money simple because they have received a number of bills in their mail.

Diagnostic criteria identified
Diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, specifically in primary care situation is a bit complex due to a number of issues. One of these issues is its high level of co-occurrence among GAD and some other mental disorders. The second issue is the significant overlap existing between many anxiety disorders and depression. A number of healthcare practitioners have a belief that GAD and depression may just be similar disorders, since several studies have continuously verified the presence and common incidences of a mixed depressionanxiety disorder.

However, the DSM-IV outlines the following steps when diagnosing if the patient is suffering from GAD

Patient interview it is necessary that the doctors asks the patient to give a description of the anxiety and the doctor will if it the anxiety is acute (occurring for many hours to days) or if it is unrelenting (going on for months to years). Supposing the patient says that heshe went through a stressful event of late, then the doctor will examine himher for double anxiety, this implies that the patient is checked for acute anxiety and underlying unrelenting anxiety.  At the same time, the doctor could as well use diagnostic questionnaire to analyze the existence of anxiety disorders in the patient. The mostly used tool to analyze anxiety disorders is the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, which assess all kind of anxiety disorders. However, the (GAD-Q-IV) or the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire for DSM-IV is the latest diagnostic instrument that is specifically meant to analyze GAD (DSM-IV-TR)
Medical assessment non-psychiatric mental disorders such as hyperthyroidism and carcinoid syndrome that mainly result in anxiety have to be ruled out together with some drugs like steroids and thyroxin among others, which also could result in anxiety when used as a side effect of the drugs. The doctor should as well get the patients history about herbal preparations.

Another diagnostic aspect that the doctor has to check is substance abuse this is because substance abuse in many times results in anxiety or withdrawal syndrome. Thus the doctor has to find out if the patient uses caffeine, alcohol as well as other usual substances that could be abused (DSM-IV-TR).
Assessment of other psychiatric disorders it is also important to check out for any other psychiatric disorders since there is a lot of overlap among GAD and depression (DSM-IV-TR).

The origins of the disorder
Studies indicate that GAD can starts considerably early in a persons life. Though it can be worsened through an unexpected crisis occurring at any particular age when a child is over seven years. The notion that GAD normally starts at childhood age though its symptoms may not be visible until when a person reaches late teenager stage is increasingly being accepted. Nearly 50 percent of those diagnosed with GAD indicated that they start to worry when in childhood stage or when teenagers. Others state that they have been worried all through their lives about one thing or another. Such kind of persistent anxiety can be taken as being part of an individuals temperament or inherent and at times it refereed to as trait anxiety.

Nonetheless, it is normal for individuals to suffer from GAD in their adulthood age, mainly because of their reaction to constant stress or due to anxiety-resulting circumstances. For instance there are cases where a person develops GAD following years of nursing of a close relative suffering from dementia (DSM-IV-TR). 

Website that is a support for people with GAD
People suffering from GAD can get help from Anxiety Disorder Association of America (ADAA). The new things that I have learnt from this website are that

A lot of people suffer from this disorder, indeed according to ADDA, over 6.8 million adults (3.1) American suffers from GAD each year. Women have a double possibility of suffering from GAD.
People suffering from GAD but who show moderate anxiety can interact well within the society and continue to work as usual at their work place if they just keep away from some situations since they suffer from GAD. Yet again in severe cases even performing simple daily chores will be difficulty.
That is possible to treat GAD, and cognitive-behavioral therapy has proved to be successful for many patients, since it assists them to identify, acknowledge and change their thoughts and conduct. More so relaxation methods like yoga and mediation are other way of treating GAD.

Conclusion
We can therefore conclude that GAD is a disorder that mainly starts early in live and those suffering from it exhibit persistent and extreme worry about issues like family, money and work. Diagnosing of GAD entails observation and the patient must show symptoms of excessive anxiety for a period of six months and over. The doctor can also use Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire to ascertain if the patient is having GAD. There are several bodies that assist those suffering from GAD and one such organization is Anxiety Disorder Association of America. However, GAD is treatable and those having GAD can just live a normal life.