Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is an anxiety disorder that has struck about 6.8 million Americans as verified by the National Institute for Mental Health in 2007. This type of anxiety disorder makes a person worry disproportionately to the real cause or source of anxiety. There are some generalized anxiety disorder treatments available but before we head on to that, you must be familiar first with GAD.

Typically, the patient worries on simple everyday things such as work challenges, family problems, relationship issues, money problems, friendships and many more. The problem with generalized anxiety disorder is that it has a number of physical symptoms that affect the sufferer continuously. These symptoms include irritability, agitation, sweating, hot flashes, rashes, difficulty with breathing, fidgeting, nausea, numbness in the hands or feet, muscle pain, insomnia, fatigue and others.

Experts recommend that the following symptoms should be occurring for at least a duration of six months in order for a proper diagnosis of GAD be made. There are a number of generalized anxiety disorder treatments available and each approach is a serious attempt on the part of the medical community experts to offer outstanding patient care. They are as follows:

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Under this treatment, the patient is made to participate in a therapy session conducted by a professional. Allowing the patient to substitute the negative thinking patterns and behaviors actively with positive reactions is the aim of such generalized anxiety disorder treatments. The effectiveness of this method has helped around one third of the patients.

2. Pharmaceutical Treatments

This is done by administering selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors or SSRIs which are a type of anti depressant that hinders the re-absorption of serotonin in the systemic brain. The drugs used here are also used to overcome depression. The only downside to these generalized anxiety disorder treatments is that it can lead to a number of side effects which are quite similar to the symptoms of GAD, such as headache and nausea. In addition, some patients have also felt the symptoms of diarrhea, sexual dysfunction and constipation.

On the other hand, a number of people would prefer to take on herbal remedies for anxiety before seeking for medical help. Luckily, there are some generalized anxiety disorder treatments available which are not pharmacological. One of the herbal treatments available is Valeriana officinalis, or Valerian, where its root extract has been used for centuries by physicians to manage nervousness. For this reason, there are a few proponents of this herb that swear to its anxiolytic effects. A number of herbalists favor the use of the root of kava-kava, or in its scientific name, Piper methysticum, as another form of natural remedy for anxiety. A herbalist will usually concoct a beverage out of its extract. This is then given to the patients to cure their anxieties. You can visit your local herbalist for these items and also find out more if any of this can be of great help to your generalized anxiety disorder.