Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Facts

• Anxiety disorders are characterized by persistent worry that can negatively affect or interfere with daily activities
• An estimated 31.1 percent of adults experience an anxiety disorder over the course of their lives in the U.S.
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder involves extreme worry over things that there appears to be little to no reason to be concerned about
• Stress, like dramatic life changes, are believed to contribute to GAD
• The cause of GAD is unknown, although it is shown to run in families

Signs and Symptoms

• Excessive worry for months
• Restlessness, feeling of being “on edge”
• Difficulty controlling worry
• Sleep problems – falling or staying asleep
• Irritability
• Fatigue

Treatment

Anxiety can be treated with therapy, medication or both. Stress management and group therapy are frequently used techniques. Therapy can allow individuals to learn different ways of reacting to anxiety.

 At Sindecuse Health Center, individual and group counseling is available to students to help find management and coping techniques. Any WMU student can make their first visit to see a counselor by going to Sindecuse during regular hours and asking to meet with one.

Why does this matter to me?

I have experienced anxiety and utilized the services at Sindecuse. I have had the incredible opportunity to be raised understanding that mental health is just as important as physical health. My goal as a member of the Student Health Advisory Council is to ensure that students make their personal mental health a priority during these stressful years.
—Sara Femminineo

Source: The National Institute of Mental Health Anxiety Disorders