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Generalized Anxiety Disorder Paper

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder is an impairing mental disorder that can take control of a persons life. Not only are there various mental symptoms, such as difficulty in controlling worry, but there are also many physical symptoms, such as irritability, muscle tension, etc (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). For this paper, I interviewed a family friend, who shall remain nameless, but for the point of this paper will be called Nicole. She was clinically diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and has been dealing with this mental illness for all of her life. Nicole has learned to cope with her stress, and is able to live a normal life currently, even though she still experiences some symptoms. Nicole’s experience through GAD …show more content…
Not everything needs to be looked at with a negative view, there are valuable skills and lessons one can learn from this type of disorder. For example, coping skills that allow a person to manage stress is very important for an individual’s life. Everyone, no matter if they are diagnosed with anxiety, has come into with stress of some kid. Being able to cope with it and move on with life is vital to be success. In the case of Nicole, she had learned these valuable skills over a 10 year period while being an adolescent and uses them today to be able to handle with new stressors such as college and work. Many stigmas go along with mental disorders. From Nicole’s point of view, she believes that there are people who do not really understand what they actually are. Nicole said, regarding anxiety disorder, that many see it as a personality. Someone who may encounter a person with anxiety may believe they are just an anxious person by nature, which is not true. Nicole has to deal with it like any other illness, with it being a constant fight to overcome. In addition, just like another illness, Nicole can overcome this, be healthy and happy, and live a normal …show more content…
Ashley appreciates the support her family and friends have given her through her tough times. She discovered therapy as well as medications to keep herself in control of her own thoughts. They also both share the same thoughts, in regards to looking at this disorder from a positive frame of mind. Ashley believes that having gone through this have given her the ability to control her breathing and thoughts, which are important for anyone in life (Erickson, 2008). As you can see from this paper, General Anxiety Disorder is a distressing and debilitating mental disorder that can overcome a persons life. Without the proper skills and or medications, a person may lose their battle and not be able to achieve that normal life that many others have. Nicole, who has been dealing with this mental disorder for her entire life has found her ways of beating it. Going through the worst of it, she wants others to know that it is not all negative. If an individual can find the positive side, they will be much better off in the

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