Studies on GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorders)

Generalized anxiety disorders remain one of the most common forms of anxiety disorders found in the general population, yet are the least studied despite their prevalence and disturbing psychological effect on sufferers. As its name suggests, Generalized Anxiety Disorders involve excessive, unrelenting, omnipresent general anxiety about issues that cause ordinary people only infrequent or intermittent worry or concern: jobs, money, health, marriage, or family problems.

Anxiety can originate in many different ways, including repeated and chronic stress, environmental factors, physiological causes, traumatic childhood experiences, or hereditary predisposition towards anxiety.

General, Not Localized

Unlike phobias or panic disorders which reflect specific and situational anxiety triggered by particular fears, generalized anxiety sufferers experience constant and persistent feelings of worry in everyday life - in general, making the disease far-reaching, affecting every aspect of a sufferer’s life.

Multiple medical studies have affirmed the varying degrees of success in implementing CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) treatments combined with self-induced positive reinforcement thinking to help alleviate general anxiety symptoms.

Some Interesting Studies

Some surprising studies on General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) reveal that:

Generalized Anxiety Disorders can be linked to peptic ulcer disease, giving the condition yet another physiological origin. As published in a Colombia University Health Sciences Research Brief, a 2004 study conducted by Dr. Goodwin and co-author Murray B. Stein, M.D., from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California at San Diego in California, analyzed data from the National Comorbidity Survey, a household survey of U.S. individuals aged 15 to 54, to determine the relationship between Generalized Anxiety Disorders and ulcers and published findings in ‘Psychosomatic Medicine’ in the November-December 2004 issue. The study upheld previous findings that ulcers and anxiety share a common link. “The identification of a dose-response relationship between the two disorders offers further support for the hypothesis that the relationship between the two disorders is genuine," says Goodwin.

Nutritional Therapy

Anxiety disorders are associated with magnesium (and also zinc) deficiencies and nutrition therapy can be an extremely helpful supporting treatment in alleviating chronic anxiety. Pantothenic acid, calcium and magnesium are natural anxiety remedies. Various clinical studies and open trials associate magnesium deficiencies with fatigue and weakness, hyper-emotionality, anxiety, headaches, light-headedness and insomnia.

When considering nutritional therapy as a possible treatment option, it is worth noting that alternative and complimentary herbal therapies using agents such as Rhodiola Rhosea, Valerian root, St. John’s Wort, Ginseng, Passaflora flower and Kava Kava can induce relaxation and help control anxiety. Proper nutritional therapy and nutritional supplements containing anti-anxiety ingredients can cause general anxiety symptoms to subside. Ongoing clinical studies on the use of drug alternative herbal therapies as substitutes for or as compliments to drug therapies continues to be a promising area of mental health research.

Alternative therapies such as electropuncture may be a useful anti-anxiety treatment in the future. Dr. A. Sanderson, Consultant Psychiatrist, South Bedfordshire Community Health Care Trust, U.K., as published on the Priory.com website, reported a successful case study of a 33 year old woman who successfully underwent electropuncture treatment for thirty minutes in weekly sessions. According to the study, sterile disposable acupuncture needles (0.5" length and 0.22mm diameter) were inserted at the following acupuncture points: Bilaterally at Liver 3, Spleen 6, Stomach 36, Large Intestine 4 and Triple Heater 16. The woman showed initial anxiety improvement and maintained positive results when followed up six months after her treatment.

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