Good evening, my name is ________ and this evening I will be talking about generalized anxiety disorder in adolescents (GAD). According to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), GAD can be defined as excessive anxiety and worry, occurring more often for at least 6 months, about a number of events or situations. activities. People with GAD will associate three or more of the following six symptoms with anxiety and worry: restlessness or feeling nervous, getting tired easily, difficulty concentrating or going blank, irritability, muscle tension, and trouble sleeping. In order to determine that the patient's excessive worry is actually GAD, he or she must experience certain symptoms for more days over the past six months. In the younger population, generalized anxiety disorder typically develops around age 12. However, it can develop at any time of life. GAD tends to affect women more than men, with two out of three children/teenagers being girls. Without proper treatment and medication, it is likely that we will regress. It is therefore important to seek professional help if a teenager exhibits any of the symptoms mentioned above. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay When a teenager asks for help, there are two paths to take. Depending on the professional, medications will be prescribed, different therapies will be undergone, or both. It is very likely that the psychologist or psychiatrist will start with therapy. Since the patient is an adolescent, it is best not to take medications except in extreme cases. If the patient is one of these extreme cases or does not improve with treatment, medication will be prescribed. There are a variety of medications available for patients with GAD, but tonight I will only discuss three. One of the most popular medications is Buspar Buspirone. Buspirone is specifically an anti-anxiety medication that will lessen some effects, but will not completely rid the patient of anxiety. It is most often used to treat anxiety disorders, such as GAD, and depressive disorders. Side effects may include: headache, dizziness, nervousness or sudden excitement. Buspirone is most preferred because it does not tend to make the patient dependent. Another medication that may be prescribed is called Alprazolam, or more commonly known as Xanax. Xanax is used to treat anxiety, agoraphobia, panic disorders, and depressive disorders. However, this can make consumers physically and psychologically dependent on the drug after just a few weeks. Side effects of Alprazolam could be: change in appetite or weight, dizziness, nervousness or constipation. The last medication I will discuss is Hydroxyzine. Hydroxyzine is a medication used to treat anxiety, allergies, itchy skin, withdrawal syndrome, and nausea. It can cause patients to experience headaches, dizziness, dry mouth and drowsiness. If one must take medication, one should first try Buspirone. If the adolescent with GAD is determined to feel better and is willing to make an effort, he or she will seek therapy. The most common type of therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT uses five different methods to help the patient improve. The first step is education. The therapist educates the patient about their disorder and helps todetermine the difference between useful and unnecessary worry. The second step is monitoring. Monitoring helps the patient understand which specific situations trigger anxiety and worry, and determine the duration of each episode. Physical control strategies are the third step. During this time, patients will work on deep breathing and muscle relaxation strategies to try to slow the heart rate. Similar to physical control strategies, the fourth stage is cognitive control.Strategies. Cognitive control strategies focus on the patient's mental processing during episodes. The therapist will work to teach the patient to think differently in order to prevent episodes. They will also test his fears and worries. The last step concerns behavioral strategies. This stage is where the patient learns to overcome their fears and take control of their thoughts and reactions. Although CBT is the most common, a therapist can try exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is exactly what it sounds like. The patient will be exposed to their fears and worries in an attempt to regain control. This is done gradually and in stages. Once the patient is comfortable with the idea of ​​their fear, they will gradually face it until the fear is finally controlled. This can be done by imagining scenarios or physically addressing their fears and worries. The last type of therapy is complementary therapies. These include: exercise, relaxation techniques and hypnosis. Doctors have found that exercising for 30 minutes, three to five times a week, can decrease episodes of GAD. Exercise can help relieve tension and stress, increase physical and mental energy, and improve well-being through the release of endorphins. It is also suggested to avoid caffeine as it is said to increase heart rate and blood pressure. Relaxation techniques help slow the mental and heart rate through meditation, muscle relaxation and controlled breathing. Finally, hypnosis helps the patient see their fears with a new attitude by speaking lightly during a state of deep relaxation. All three therapies can be effective depending on the person and their desire to improve. Adolescence is a stressful time in life in general, having generalized anxiety disorder makes it even worse. During this period of life, most adolescents seek acceptance from their peers, family, and themselves. A teenager with GAD will worry ten times more than the average teenager. GAD causes a great psychological impact not only on the individual, but also on their peers and family. A person might be invited to their first high school party. The average teenager will worry about what to wear and who to carpool with. However, a person with GAD may worry non-stop from the second they are invited to a week after the party. First, they might worry about their appearance, the way they walk, whether they talk too much or not enough, and even the way they carry themselves. Anxiety will take over this individual's mind, making the party stressful instead of fun. This person will probably want to leave after being at the party for a short time, then avoid conversations about the party for the next few days. In the future, this person might also avoid parties. A teenager can also have a psychological impact on friends and family. One day this person may feel good and behave extroverted, while another.