Generalized Anxiety Disorder Research Paper

Life with Generalized Anxiety Disorder In the U.S., approximately 3.1% of adults are affected each year by generalized anxiety disorder, causing 1.5-5.4 days of impairment during any given month (Priest, 2015). Anxiety is a commonly experienced emotion in everyday life. Everyone is familiar with the feeling of anxiety from time to time, however, there are individuals who may encounter anxiety at higher levels and rates in which can put them in a debilitating state. Individuals who suffer from such extreme anxiety levels will find a normal, everyday environment to be as overwhelming as a roller coaster ride. Generalized anxiety disorder has the ability to affect a person physically, socially, and mentally at any point in their life. First and foremost, generalized anxiety disorder can be characterized as an excessive amount of anxiety and …show more content…
The typical age range is said to be between the ages of 15 and 25 (Weisman and Levine, 2007). Interestingly enough, about two-thirds of all persons who suffer from GAD tend to be women (Weisman & Levine, 2007). Weisman and Levine (2007) note that the start of generalized anxiety disorder is gradual and tends to be a chronic condition with fluctuating symptoms. The cause of generalized anxiety disorder is fairly unknown (“Generalized Anxiety Disorder,” 2015). There are multiple factors that can influence a person to develop this disorder. First off, GAD can possibly be passed down through genetics (“Generalized Anxiety Disorder,” 2015). Some researchers even suggest that there is a specific gene related to disorders such as GAD (“Generalized Anxiety Disorder,” 2015). However, there are also outside factors that can influence an individual as well. Situations involving high pressure and stress can be a trigger on one’s anxiety level (“Generalized Anxiety Disorder,”