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A Short Note On Anxiety Disorder And Anxiety Disorders Essay

Decent Essays

Anxiety

Case Study

Wendy is a 32 year old woman who has presented at her general practitioner with a six month history of disturbed sleep, fatigue, restlessness and difficulty concentrating. On assessment, she reports that these symptoms have become worse since she was promoted at work. Wendy is in a senior position at work and now finds herself worrying constantly about work. She is also more irritable than usual and this is impacting on her relationship with her husband and she is now worried that he might leave her. She has been diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

A Discuss the aetiology of anxiety disorders, and identify some specific risk factors which may have predisposed Wendy to developing GAD. (300 words)

Anxiety itself is a normal human emotion, experienced regularly and on a lesser scale than those suffering from GAD disorder. Although nothing is known of Wendy’s genetics or youth, it is thought that traumatic experiences, over protective parents, “stress, biological predisposition, personality characteristics, psychodynamic factors and interpersonal and behavioural dynamics” (Elder, Evans, & Nizette, 2013, p. 320) all play a part in the development of GAD. Though none have been significantly identified as definitive GAD risk factors.

The age old debate of nature verses nurture is at the forefront of anxiety causation discussion.

Genetically, it is been concluded that the risk of developing GAD increases, especially amongst first degree

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