Nana, my former nanny, is suffering from general anxiety disorder. She worries about every little thing – dirty laundry, picnics, allowances, family gatherings… whatever. It’s not bad to get worried sometimes but she’s overdoing it. She worries too much. She always seems scared even if there’s nothing to be scared about. She’s also having problems with her health. She always feel dizzy and nauseous. Her head aches often and her heart always pound twice as fast. Please tell me the treatments for GAD. I really want to help Nana. I know it’s hard to live a life filled with tension and worries.

The two main treatments for a general anxiety disorder are medication and psychotherapy. The type of medication used in treating GAD is an anti-depressant. As in name suggests, an anti-depressant fights depression. It tries to counter all negative thoughts like distress, agony and anxiety. One of the newer types of anti-depressant is the SSRI or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Even if it causes nausea and sexual dysfunction in some cases, SSRI is considered very helpful for it enhances the mood by manipulating neurotransmitters.

Two types of helpful therapies are behavioral therapy and cognitive therapy. Behavioral therapy aims to lessen or to eliminate the behavior brought by the disorder. In your Nana’s case, it’s the anxiety. Through behavioral therapy, she’ll be taught how to relax in times of worry-filled situations and how to breathe well to fight hyperventilation. Cognitive therapy, on the other hand, aims to discover the connection between your Nana’s mental state and her anxiety.
She’ll be taught how to deal with unwanted thoughts full of anxiety to prevent GAD symptoms. It will help her fight the disorder.