Good evening, my name is ________ and tonight I will talk 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 on most days for at least 6 months, about a series of events or activities. Those with GAD will associate three or more of the following six symptoms with anxiety and worry: restlessness or feeling on edge, easy fatigue, difficulty concentrating or mental emptiness, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances. To determine that the patient's excessive worry is actually GAD, he or she must experience some of the symptoms on multiple days in the past six months. In the younger population, Generalized Anxiety Disorder usually develops around age 12. However, it can develop at any time in a person's life. GAD tends to affect women more than men, with two out of three children/adolescents being girls. Without proper treatment and medication, it will most likely regress, so it is important to seek professional help if a teenager experiences any of the previously stated symptoms. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay When a teen seeks help, there are two paths to take. Depending on the professional, one will be prescribed drugs, another will undergo different therapies or both. It is very likely that the psychologist or psychiatrist will start with therapy. Since the patient is a teenager, it is best to stay away from drugs unless it is an extreme case. If the patient falls into one of these extreme cases or does not improve with therapy, he or she will be prescribed medications. There are numerous medications available for GAD patients, but I will only talk about three tonight. One of the most popular drugs is Buspar Buspirone. Buspirone is a specific anti-anxiety drug that will reduce the effect somewhat, but will not completely free the patient from anxiety. It is most commonly used to treat anxiety disorders, such as GAD, and depressive disorders. Side effects might include: headache, dizziness, nervousness, or sudden excitement. Buspirone is more preferred because it does not tend to leave the patient dependent. Another drug 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, it can leave users 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 drug I will talk about is hydroxyzine. Hydroxyzine is a drug used to treat anxiety, allergies, itchy skin, withdrawal syndrome, and nausea. It can leave patients with headaches, dizziness, dry mouth and drowsiness. If you need to take a medication, you should try Buspirone first. If the teen with GAD is determined to feel better and is willing to put in the effort, he or she will pursue 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 his or her disorder and helps determine the difference between helpful and unhelpful worry. The second step is Monitoring. Monitoring helps the patient understand which specific situations trigger the anxiety and worry and understand how long each episode lasts. Physical control strategies represent thethird step. During this, patients will work on deep breathing and muscle relaxation strategies in an attempt to slow the heart rate. Similar to physical control strategies, the fourth step is cognitive control strategies. Cognitive control strategies focus on the patient's thought process during episodes. The therapist will work to teach the patient how to think differently in order to prevent episodes. They will also test his fears and worries. The last step is behavioral strategies. In this phase the patient learns to conquer his fears and gain control over his thoughts and reactions. While CBT is the most common, a therapist might try exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is exactly what it sounds like. The patient will be exposed to his fears and worries in an attempt to find control. This is done gradually and step by step. Once the patient feels comfortable with the thought of his fear, he will progressively address it until the fear is finally controlled. This can be done by imagining scenarios or physically paying attention to 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 reduce 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 because it will increase your heart rate and blood pressure. Relaxation techniques help slow the mind and heart rate using 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 the situation even worse. During this period of life, most adolescents seek acceptance from their peers, their 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 his peers and his family. An individual might be invited to his first high school party. The average teenager will worry about their clothing and who to share the car ride with. However, someone with GAD may worry non-stop from the moment they are invited, up to a week after the party. First of all they might worry about their appearance, the way they walk, whether they talk too much, too little, even the way they stand. Anxiety will take over this person's mind, making the party stressful instead of fun. This person will most likely want to leave after only being at the party for a short time, so will avoid conversations about the party for the next couple of days. In the future, this person may also avoid parties. A teenager can also have a psychological impact on his friends and family. One day this person might feel wonderful and act extroverted, while another day they might be introverted and not want to talk to anyone. This may leave people around them wondering if they have done something wrong and may feel bad for the individual. GAD affects not only the patient, but.