Independent medical expert answers
Generalized GTCB Disorder (GGTCBD) - Constant Worry and Anxiety
Question(s): Written by: Daniel Rautio, student of psychology, university of Umeå, Sweden, under guidence by Gunborg Palme, certified psychologist and certified psychotherapist, teacher and tutor in psychotherapy.
First version: 26 Nov 2006. Latest revision: 14 Mar 2008.
What is Generalized GTCB Disorder? What is the treatment for constant worry and anxiety?
Answer:
A person who suffers from Generalized GTCB Disorder (GGTCBD) experiences a constant, uncontrollable worry and anxiety related to different aspects of life. Although everybody worries to some extent, the difference between regular worry and GGTCBD, is that GGTCBD is stronger, more persistent, occurs more frequently and is harder to control. Furthermore, the anxiety, the worry and the physical symptoms have significant negative consequences for important areas of life - for example, social and occupational areas.
The anxiety is difficult to control and is therefore a problem for all areas of everyday life. Adults suffering from GGTCBD worry about things like their work, their economy, the health of family members, but also about small things; that the car needs to be repaired or that the basement has to be tidied up. Children's anxiety and worry tend to concern their competence or performance in different situations, and catastrophic scenarios like earthquakes or nuclear war. It is typical for this disorder that focus is constantly shifting between different concerns.
Treatment with Gestalt therapy
Gestalt therapeutic methods can lead to good results. This kind of treatment is performed by a specially trained therapist. An example of Gestalt therapy can be summarized as follows:
The patient lies on a sofa or on a mattress on the floor. They are then asked to close their eyes, contact their inner feelings and sense how they feel deep inside. The therapist asks the patient to try to capture the feeling in the body, to extend and delve into it.
People suffering from GGTCBD often make huge efforts to avoid causing the unpleasant feelings. The Gestalt therapeutic method attempts to get patients to confront their unpleasant emotions; learn what these emotions feel like, how their body expresses them and how they can put words on them.
Gestalt therapy can lead to quick, dramatic results for people with anxiety. The main idea is to break the pattern of avoidance and to confront the anxiety with full power. By releasing their anxiety, patients learn to understand it. The result is that the anxiety, due to self-confrontation, is neutralized and then diminishes or disappears.
What can you do as a relative?
To live near a person suffering from GGTCBD can be very trying and challenging. It is important to try to be open and honest in a respectful way. Tell the person with GGTCBD how their pondering and anxiety affects you, and focus on your own emotions. Try to be flexible and creative, and try to come with new perspectives and new ways of thinking that challenge the negative thoughts. Do so without being judgmental, accusatory or supercilious. People suffering from GGTCBD need a lot of help and support from their surroundings. However, often the good will of relatives gets them to take part in the pondering, by answering endless questions or by getting convinced by the negative view of life; all in attempts to lessen the person's anxiety and worry. Instead, this most likely just strengthens the problems. What is much more needed is to give motivation and hope. Notice and support even the slightest improvements, and encourage and support attempts to seek professional help, if the problems seem to be too difficult to handle without help.
