Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) affects almost 6% of adults in the United States at some point in their lives. Mimi Morris, DNP, provides psychiatric evaluations to identify generalized anxiety disorder and offers individualized care, including telemedicine, at her office in Missoula, Montana. Call Mimi Morris, DNP, or book an appointment online for an anxiety evaluation today.

What are the characteristics of generalized anxiety disorder?

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a common mental health condition, causes ongoing worry. Even if you acknowledge that many of your worries have no obvious reasoning, they can continue and greatly disrupt your mental well-being. 

If you have generalized anxiety disorder, your worries and apprehensions go beyond a typical state of anxiety that everyone experiences from time to time in response to stress. Your symptoms might include:

• Excessive nervousness
• Trouble controlling your worries
• Trouble concentrating
• Startling easily
• Restlessness
• A racing heart
• Trembling
• Irritability
• Sweating
• Lightheadedness
• Fatigue

To be diagnosed with GAD, these symptoms affect you regularly for at least six months. 

Some people with generalized anxiety disorder experience anxiety attacks from time to time, which cause intense and uncontrollable anxiety symptoms. An anxiety attack can make you feel like you’ve lost control over yourself or give you an impending sense of doom. 

How is generalized anxiety disorder diagnosed?

Mimi conducts diagnostic testing using psychological assessments to identify generalized anxiety disorder so you can get started with effective individualized care. She can differentiate your anxiety symptoms from symptoms of other anxiety disorders, like phobias or social anxiety disorder. 

Because generalized anxiety disorder causes physiological symptoms like sweating palms and a racing heart, physical examinations and other medical tests can also be helpful in ruling out other possible causes. 

If an in-person visit isn’t possible for you, you can get a psychiatric evaluation remotely using telemedicine services. 

What are my treatment options for generalized anxiety disorder?

Once you have a diagnosis, Mimi can plan your treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. Most people with GAD benefit from a blend of:

Medication

Anti-anxiety medications aren’t always necessary for managing generalized anxiety disorder but can be helpful tools, especially alongside psychotherapy. 

Psychotherapy

Individualized psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), teaches you coping mechanisms to manage your worries and mitigate GAD symptoms. 

Healthy habits

Mimi encourages you to follow a routine in your everyday life, adopting healthy habits like good sleep hygiene and regular exercise to reduce your anxiety. Mimi might also recommend cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and other substances. 

Generalized anxiety disorder can rule your every decision, but it doesn’t have to have such a strong influence on your well-being. Call Mimi Morris, DNP, or schedule an appointment online today.