Genaralized anxiety disorder symptoms and treatment

Genaralized anxiety disorder symptoms?

Generalized Anxiety disorder is a wide spectrum of symptoms. I have it.. and some days I get lots of strong symptoms, and other days are much better. Many people have this diagnosis- and there are many different manifestations / symptoms of it.
( hence the "generalized" as opposed to specific name)

Everyone experiences worry or anxiety as part of normal life. when we worry so much that we start to get physical symptoms, then it becomes a disorder. You can read the NIH or other web sites.. but I'll tell you my own personal experiences.

I always have tightness in my chest, both affecting breathing and eating. If I get really tense (like in crowds - or train tunnels) then I can get so much pressure that I feel my heart pounding in my throat and lower eardrums.
(edit: writing this has brought the pressure up, too.)

Most days there is just a mild tightness that I barely notice.
I avoid a lot of situations - invite me to a movie or concert, and I'll probably waffle off. I mean - yes, I may want to go, but I know the stress may paralyze me when I get there. I become indecisive, and probably won't go in the end unless I have someone really -really- trusted with me.

Every night I have trouble sleeping. I don't keep the tv on, and I have a fairly quiet, dark room. I just have my mind racing all the time. Not necessarily 'worry' but plans and alternate plans and second-alternate plans.. wishes, thoughts, things I should do, things I want to do..
Of course, since I don't get to sleep, when I finally do close my eyes and rest, I have trouble getting up. Work isn't always understanding, so sometimes I come to work without sleeping. Ok now, but not ok for truck drivers, meat slicers, or other dangerous jobs.

all day - almost every day - I am 'scattered'. I have trouble following through on tasks to completion, I get distracted very easily, and I tend to ramble on with excessive detail (like this...)
With meds & lots of practice, I have turned this into almost OCD precision for work.
If I don't procrastinate too long, then I can fix anything - from a diesel engine, a toilet, or a radio transmitter. If my wife didn't pay the bills every month, I'd be fixing my refrigerator box & shopping cart, too.
It's kind of like my brain chooses priorities subconsciously. If I think something is dangerous at any level, I look for reasons to get out. I'll get sick, get migraines, faint.. all without even thinking consciously. I automatically know every exit and window in any room within seconds. If I think something is important, then I strain on every detail - ask me to fix a car, file taxes, or rebuild a computer - I look like a genius. Something routine, like driving to work or paying bills, or even doing laundry.. is not on my radar. I put little or no effort into this, which drives the people around me crazy. If I wasn't so precise at the things I am good at - nobody would put up with me.

Treatments and drugs 

Social anxiety disorder typically persists for life, often waxing and waning. But don’t lose hope. Treatment can help you control symptoms and become more confident and relaxed in social situations.

The two most effective types of treatment are medications and a form of psychotherapy called cognitive behavior therapy. For the greatest effectiveness, they’re often used in combination.
Psychotherapy

Cognitive behavior therapy is the only type of therapy that has been shown to be effective in treating social anxiety disorder. This type of therapy is based on the idea that your own thoughts — not other people or situations — determine how you behave or react. Even if an unwanted situation won’t change — you still have to give a presentation to management, for instance — you can change the way you think and behave in a positive way. In therapy, you learn how to recognize and change negative thoughts about yourself.

Cognitive behavior therapy may also include exposure therapy. In this type of therapy, you gradually work up to facing the situations you fear most. This allows you to become better skilled at coping with these anxiety-inducing situations and to develop the confidence to face them. You may also participate in skills training or role-playing to practice your social skills and gain comfort and confidence relating to others. You may also learn relaxation or stress management techniques.
First choices in medications

Several types of medications are used to treat social anxiety disorder. However, the Food and Drug Administration has specifically approved only three medications, all antidepressants, to treat social anxiety disorder.

Those antidepressants are:
 Paroxetine (Paxil, Paxil CR)
 Sertraline (Zoloft)
 Venlafaxine (Effexor)

As for treatment..it's different for everybody and every situation. Some people find exposure therapy or cognitive therapy works for them and others don't. Personally, I found exposure therapy to help lesson the anxiety for some things but for others, not so much. I refused to take medication for my anxiety, so now I'm learning to deal with the more stressful things in a healthy way. I think you should explore all your options first, try them and if they don't work, then go for medication. I'm not sure if they have to be in pill form but I know when I was taking Prozac, it came in a liquid form and I took that because I have trouble swallowing pills too. (That's another things I'm anxious about, actually.) 

Anyway, best of luck to you. I highly recommend exposure thearpy, because I know that helped me a lot.