GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)
 

Anybody else been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

I was just wondering what others think or have been told about it?

I have a physical disability and somewhere in the NICE guidelines it states (GC26?) that mental illness in people with physical illness is more common.

I have basically had quite a long conversation with my GP who has agreed that I am likely to be on meds long term. I do have periods anxiety/worry free but it tends to go in cycles and never fails to return.

In the past I felt pressure to come of Meds but it feels now, like I have been heard at last. It feels like the Doctor has gone 'I hear you [Syrup] and you're right you'll need Meds. for a few years and then maybe reduce to a maintainence dose'

I have felt like I've been fighting hard for a few years to be 'heard' like this and now I have at last.

So... Can GAD be cured?

views welcome

Yikes, that's a good question.
I've been diagnosed with GAD too, and I'm supposed to be switching medication soon, I could ask my psych for you, if GAD can actually be "cured" though.

I'm pretty glad that you've made this thread, hopefully some other members here can give some better responses than I could!

Apparently I have 'signs' as my therapist tells me over and over again that she can't diagnosed, I know she can't shes not a psych lol. I don't want anymore labels. But given I have been anxious and 'a worrier' ever since I started school, So about 15 years i have felt like this I say there would be a pretty good chance of me having GAD. I think it is cureable, in a way, but it will always be there. I spoke to my cpn about it and she was saying that sometimes it can evenutally just go away... Whether it will I don't know.

cured, no, not from what i've heard. but get much better, absolutely.

I've had it as a diagnosis for over 6 years, only I have had other things added to it. Now it is seen as a side effect of my Personality disorder.

I've had to learn to deal with it. I've also got an amazing work places, friends and family that completley understand why I get anxious at random times over random things, which actually helps the anxiousness leave me.

I personally am not on any medication for it due to the fact I am not allowed most types of medications they can prescribe for it. But I understand why some people struggle to deal with it in the long term.

Have you been offered any type of support for learning to deal with it?

I was diagnosed with GAD about 8 years ago. After some medication and therapy, learning coping skills and such, it's gotten so, so, so much better. I don't know if it'll ever completely go away, but it can be managed and it can get better. xx

I don't know. My bipolar symptoms cycle like you mentioned but the anxiety piece always seems to be there. I happen to think that it is the symptom that is easiest to manage for me. If I have an anxiety attack I kind of just accept it. I know that it will pass. I have really reduced my anxiety medication a lot recently which may be working because it didn't do anything in the first place. It is certainly a part of my daily life and gets me into to trouble sometimes but I can live with it.

Interesting responses! I guess this post goes hand in hand with others I have made around medication, being scared to come off it etc etc

I suppose my point of view is that if it's not broken why fix it? In other words, if a small dose of a medication helps me to function...fine. What on earth is the big deal?

My personal view is that it is probably something to be managed rather than cured. CBT may well help but probably not for me as I hate the approach and I think you have to be committed to an approach for it to succeed.

I was diagnosed with GAD around seven years ago, but have had it/symptoms for longer than that. I think you're right in thinking it can be managed rather than cured, I'm of that opinion anyway.

I've been on medication for it for the last four years consecutively, and on and off for about two years before that. My anxiety never seems to go away, sometimes it seems less obvious when I'm feeling a bit manic (I have emotionally unstable personality disorder) but it never seems to go away completely.

Just over a year ago I experienced something traumatic that made my GAD quite a bit worse, I can't leave my home alone now because I get too anxious and have panic attacks, my partner is my carer so he helps me. I'm due to start a four year course of therapy soon for my personality disorder and for the other things I struggle with. So hopefully soon I'll be able to start learning how to manage my GAD so it doesn't limit my life as much as it does now.

Do you think if you could try something other than CBT to manage it then it might make more of a difference to you?

I've now been on and off meds about 6 years. Sorry to drag this thread back up but. *screams*

Back on prozac at 40mg wondering about whether to suggest an increase to 60mg

I swear I go into 'remission' or at least it feels controlled and then I always suffer again. Same med dosage no change just stupid thoughts returning!

Mood stabilisers basically reduced my anxiety to zero, I'd say I have no symptoms now. I get anxious about things in a normal way, though probably less so than some people I know without MH issues.

Lego - I take it you would need to stay on the mood stabilisers to keep having the effect?
I don't have BPD.

I think I'm technically diagnosed with GAD (although I haven't asked recently) and I was prescribed an antipsychotic/mood stabilizer off label for my anxiety and it has actually done a lot more for my anxiety than more typical choices for anxiety medication. I tried most of the benzos, a fair number of antidepressants that were supposed to also help with anxiety, and some things like gabapentin, etc, and this has done the most for me.

As for the original question, I'm not sure that it can be 100% cured, but it can definitely become a very manageable thing.

I think it's also very important to work on things such as counterstatements, distraction techniques, and other things that can help root you in reality and the present versus getting swept away by the anxiety, because medication can only do so much.

In my case, no amount of medication will make the anxiety totally go away. I am trying other techniques besides and currently working on emotional freedom technique also know as EFT or tapping. Therapy could be useful, exercise, creative outlets, breathing techniques, guided imagery, or progressive muscle relaxation.