Generalised Anxiety Disorder

What is generalised anxiety disorder?

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a condition which can lead you to become extremely anxious about different situations and issues rather than one specific event. It’s characterised by chronic, uncontrollable worrying.

 

People who suffer from Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) feel anxious most days and often struggle to remember the last time they felt calm or relaxed. As soon as one anxious thought dissipates, another thought appears and takes hold for a completely different issue.

What are the symptoms of GAD?

There both psychological and physical symptoms of GAD and these are:

  • Restlessness
  • Feeling constantly ‘on edge’
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Sense of dread
  • Fast, irregular heartbeat
  • Difficulties sleeping
  • Headaches
  • Excessive sweating
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness
  • Irritability

Anxiety can manifest itself in lots of different ways and so this isn’t an exhaustive list. The most characteristic feature of Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is the experience of endless and persistent worries that can feel very overwhelming.

consultation taking notes

Treatment for GAD

Treatment for GAD is through a combination of medication and therapy. To begin with, we’ll carry out an initial assessment to explore which therapeutic approach you’ll most benefit from.

 

In some cases, medication will be prescribed on either a short-term or long-term basis. Your GP or our Consultant Psychiatrist can advise about this.

Frequently asked questions

If your anxiety has begun to interfere in your everyday life and relationships and it’s leaving you feeling overwhelmed, it’s important to seek professional help.
By default, anxiety is characterised by a feeling of vulnerability in the world. When external events increase this feeling of threat, you may find that your anxiety symptoms get worse.

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Athena Lazaridou

Athena is a Pilates instructor with 8 years’ experience in the field. After completing a Power Pilates Mat Certification in Athens, she went on to complete the Full Comprehensive Classical Pilates Certification with Equinox in Kensington.  She has been teaching Pilates at Equinox for the past 6 years in addition to her own private clients who she trains both face to face and virtually.

Athena has a passion for helping people get stronger and fitter as well as helping those recovering from injury regain their strength and mobility.  Over the years, she has worked with athletes to incorporate Pilates into their training and improve performance. Athena has also worked with prenatal and postnatal women who may be experiencing depression or other mental health difficulties and used Pilates to facilitate a positive impact on their mental health.

Athena is very passionate about improving physical and mental well-being and has recently incorporated Sound Healing into her work, as she believes it to be one of the best ways of ‘letting go’ and releasing stale energy whilst increasing greater self-awareness.