Introduction to Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder is defined by Merriam Webster dictionary as "chronic excessive anxiety and worry that is difficult to control, causes distress or impairment in daily functioning, and is accompanied by three or more associated symptoms (as restlessness, irritability, poor concentration, and sleep disturbances)". Anxiety comes from a natural reaction in our bodies to stress. Some people experience extreme amounts of anxiety at a time, which would be diagnosed as an anxiety disorder. There are many different anxiety disorders, some of these include generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post dramatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder. The purpose of this website is to explore the bio/ecological, ethnomedical, experimental, critical and applied aspects of the disorder. By navigating through these topics individually there will be a better understanding of the disorder from all angles.
I took a personal interest in anxiety disorders because I suffer from general anxiety disorder. I have a consistent nervous feeling at all times, even when I am not under stress. It was very important to see others views and ideas about anxiety so I could realize I am not alone. I also took an interest in treatment options besides drugs for this disorder. Although doctors do mean well, drugs are not always the answer to cure an individuals anxiety. There are other coping mechanisms to calm and overcome the anxious feeling many experience. It is important to look at non medical factors such as culture, economics, and social status that may cause anxiety to arise. Living with a low income in a culture where money and education are extremely important can cause one to feel stressed and anxious about the future. Depending on the culture, there may be pressures driven on a person to meet certain standards which they feel are impossible. Striving to meet perfection in any aspect of life is overwhelming enough to drive a person to anxiety. For example, in the American culture we emphasize the importance of money and making a name for yourself. It is important too look at these outside factors because Influences by the media, and everyday struggles are key common factors in anxiety. An anthropologist may study this disorder different than a medical doctor because they can look into factors in the community which may be causing anxiety disorders. They use a qualitative and quantitative approach to asses why this disorder is so common amongst a community and what can be done to improve it. For example anthropologists may find that residents in bigger cities suffer from more anxiety that those in rural areas. After finding common factors in the community a plan of action can be created by anthropologists and doctors together. According the article presented in week one of class titled "Why medical anthropology matters", they stated that a key role of the medical anthropologist here would be to mediate between health planners and bureaucracies on one side, and local communities on the other; to act as advocate for those communities, but also as a feed- back loop ̧ ensuring that health programmes make sense to the community in terms of their local social and eco- nomic realities, and are also acceptable to them. Anthropologists can look at outside factors in the community that the health administration is normally not aware of. Anthropologists are a great tool to improve a doctors approach of treatment options in anxiety disorders.
Generalized anxiety disorder is defined by Merriam Webster dictionary as "chronic excessive anxiety and worry that is difficult to control, causes distress or impairment in daily functioning, and is accompanied by three or more associated symptoms (as restlessness, irritability, poor concentration, and sleep disturbances)". Anxiety comes from a natural reaction in our bodies to stress. Some people experience extreme amounts of anxiety at a time, which would be diagnosed as an anxiety disorder. There are many different anxiety disorders, some of these include generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post dramatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder. The purpose of this website is to explore the bio/ecological, ethnomedical, experimental, critical and applied aspects of the disorder. By navigating through these topics individually there will be a better understanding of the disorder from all angles.
I took a personal interest in anxiety disorders because I suffer from general anxiety disorder. I have a consistent nervous feeling at all times, even when I am not under stress. It was very important to see others views and ideas about anxiety so I could realize I am not alone. I also took an interest in treatment options besides drugs for this disorder. Although doctors do mean well, drugs are not always the answer to cure an individuals anxiety. There are other coping mechanisms to calm and overcome the anxious feeling many experience. It is important to look at non medical factors such as culture, economics, and social status that may cause anxiety to arise. Living with a low income in a culture where money and education are extremely important can cause one to feel stressed and anxious about the future. Depending on the culture, there may be pressures driven on a person to meet certain standards which they feel are impossible. Striving to meet perfection in any aspect of life is overwhelming enough to drive a person to anxiety. For example, in the American culture we emphasize the importance of money and making a name for yourself. It is important too look at these outside factors because Influences by the media, and everyday struggles are key common factors in anxiety. An anthropologist may study this disorder different than a medical doctor because they can look into factors in the community which may be causing anxiety disorders. They use a qualitative and quantitative approach to asses why this disorder is so common amongst a community and what can be done to improve it. For example anthropologists may find that residents in bigger cities suffer from more anxiety that those in rural areas. After finding common factors in the community a plan of action can be created by anthropologists and doctors together. According the article presented in week one of class titled "Why medical anthropology matters", they stated that a key role of the medical anthropologist here would be to mediate between health planners and bureaucracies on one side, and local communities on the other; to act as advocate for those communities, but also as a feed- back loop ̧ ensuring that health programmes make sense to the community in terms of their local social and eco- nomic realities, and are also acceptable to them. Anthropologists can look at outside factors in the community that the health administration is normally not aware of. Anthropologists are a great tool to improve a doctors approach of treatment options in anxiety disorders.
Sources:
Helman, Cecil. "Why Medical Anthropology Matters". Accessed August 15, 2013. http://anthropology.msu.edu/anp204-us13/files/2012/06/Helman-Why-Medical-Anthropology-Matters.pdf
Merriam-Webster. "Generalized Anxiety Disorder". Accessed August 14, 2013. http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/generalized%20anxiety%20disorder
NIH. "What is Anxiety Disorder?". Accessed August 15, 2013. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml
Helman, Cecil. "Why Medical Anthropology Matters". Accessed August 15, 2013. http://anthropology.msu.edu/anp204-us13/files/2012/06/Helman-Why-Medical-Anthropology-Matters.pdf
Merriam-Webster. "Generalized Anxiety Disorder". Accessed August 14, 2013. http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/generalized%20anxiety%20disorder
NIH. "What is Anxiety Disorder?". Accessed August 15, 2013. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml