Stress, Anxiety, and GAD

__ Do you feel restlessness or "on edge"?

__ Do you have feelings of fatigue?

__ Do you have difficulty concentrating?

__ Do you feel irritable, and/or snap at others rather than

     talking out your feelings in a rational way?

__ Do you have muscle tension?

__ Do you have trouble sleeping?

All of us worry about things like health, money, or family problems. Many of of us experience the symptoms listed above from time to time.  Talking with a counselor can be very helpful when we are trying to manage any symptoms of anxiety. 

People with GAD experience these symptoms on a very consistent basis for a significant amount of time, even when there is little or no reason to worry about things. It can be very hard for people with GAD to get through the day.  GAD develops slowly. It often starts during the teen years or young adulthood. Symptoms may get better or worse at different times, and often are worse during times of stress. 

There are a couple of techniques that your therapist may use to help you to manage symptoms of Anxiety.   These include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Rational Emotive Therapy.  Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can be very helpful as well. (Refer to EMDR under "Services" section for more information.)

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