![]() Life Experiences: Although genetic and biologic factors clearly contribute to the development of GAD, a greater percentage of the risk for GAD lies in complex psychological, environmental, and social factors.It is this heightened activity within the amygdala that researchers believe might influence the inaccurate interpretations of social behavior for patients with GAD. The amygdala is an important player in people's ability to discern and feel fear, so it may not be a surprise that imaging studies of people diagnosed with GAD show elevated amygdala activity during the processing of negative emotions. The amygdala, in particular, is the part of the limbic system involved in the automatic fear response, as well as in the integration of memory and emotion. The limbic system is a collection of brain structures that, among other functions, is involved in the regulation of many of basic emotional reactions. Evidence has shown that multiple factors are usually at play, influencing the development of GAD. Some of the common factors include things like genetic predisposition, brain chemistry, family background, social influence, and life experiences. ![]() There is no singular cause of GAD that has been identified. Difficulty sleeping (due to trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, restlessness at night, or unsatisfying sleep).Irritability (which may or may not be observable to others).Impaired concentration or feeling as though the mind goes blank.Tiring easily more fatigued than usual.The anxiety and worry are accompanied by at least three of the following physical or cognitive symptoms (In children, only one of these symptoms is necessary for a diagnosis of GAD):.The worry in both adults and children may easily shift from one topic to another. The worry is experienced as very challenging to control.Worry occurs more often than not for at least six months and is clearly excessive. The presence of excessive anxiety and worry about a variety of topics, events, or activities.Having a standard set of symptoms to reference when assessing clients helps them to more accurately diagnose mental health concerns and, in turn, create a more effective plan of care.Ĭriteria for Diagnosing GAD: When assessing for GAD, clinical professionals are looking for the following: The DSM-5 outlines specific criteria to help professionals diagnose generalized anxiety disorder. As a result of this misconception, without the experience of panic attacks, a person may think they are "just worrying too much." Their struggles with constant worry may be minimized or dismissed and, in turn, not properly diagnosed or treated People consider panic attacks a hallmark of all anxiety disorders, but GAD is different in that there are generally no panic attacks associated with the condition. Examples of the reasons given for these reactions included being disgusted by the holes and fearing that something may be living in them.GAD can be a challenge to diagnose. Some of the phobic individuals would also experience panic attacks and feel physically sick on viewing the holes. They described individuals who reported feeling itchy, shuddering and experiencing a skin crawling sensation when they saw clusters of holes in honeycomb, soap, cheese, plants, wounds, meat, wood, or coral. In the peer reviewed journal Psychological Science, the researchers wrote that the reaction is triggered by the brain associating the shapes with danger. Wilkins and Cole believe the foundation for this adverse reaction may lie in biological revulsion rather than a learned cultural fear. Trypophobia was first described by British researchers Arnold Wilkins and Geoff Cole, who say they were the first people to investigate the phobia. However, the condition is not yet recognized and listed in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or any other scientific literature. The term trypophobia was first used to describe this phobia in 2005. ![]() The term trypophobia is used to refer specifically to a pathological fear of objects that have an irregular pattern of holes, such as bee hives, lotus seed heads or ant hills. It may also lead to loss of sleep and anxiety. If the subject of the phobia cannot be entirely avoided, the phobic individual will typically find it extremely distressing to endure, which may lead to manifestations such as fast breathing (hyperventilation), palpitations, flushing, sweating, muscle tension and pains, indigestion, diarrhea and feeling dizzy or faint. The persistent fear the person experiences is often disproportionate to the threat posed by the entity they are scared of. A person will therefore go to extreme lengths to avoid the object or situation that causes them such anxiety. The term phobia describes a pathological fear of something or a situation that causes a person extreme anxiety if they have to confront it. ![]() Ananya Mandal, MD Reviewed by Sally Robertson, B.Sc. ![]()
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