Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Have you heard of the term GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)?

I haven’t until now. At the beginning of Covid-19, during the initial lockdown, I experienced something I had never before. Anxiety attacks. The term didn’t even occur to me as something that could happen to me. But it can happen to anyone who is going through any stressful transitions and life changes, and frankly, the pandemic just exacerbated it.

At the time, I was starting to notice I worried excessively and felt hopeless. I also experienced physical symptoms such as running short of breath, and kept thinking I couldn’t breathe in enough oxygen. I couldn’t sleep. I had dry mouth. Worse, I had strange chest pain and hot flashes, despite no real signs of a fever.

I would walk, read, try to do yoga and I started to transcribe the Bible for peace of mind. It was extremely difficult as visiting a hospital was not even option because of Covid. My primary physician met with me virtually and told me there was no need for a Covid test, but rather that I was experiencing anxiety.

Two years into the pandemic, my symptoms are much better. We got our vaccines, we get out more often and the world is no longer in as much fear as we had been in March of 2020.

But I still get an episode of anxiety attack here and there. It helps to know and address the symptoms at the very least. I have come to learn that overanalyzing and excessively overthinking about the ways how life can go wrong is just another symptom of anxiety. It helps to understand that these symptoms do exist, I am not the only one suffering, and helps me see my condition objectively as something medical that can be cured, addressed and fixed.

Common literature suggests work out, keeping busy, establishing routines, and distraction. I am trying them all. Not to give in to that voice that tries to trick me into saying “I can’t.” I can. I can. I can. I will try to seek help if needed. What are some of the things that worked for you those with anxiety symptoms?