Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Question: Discuss about theGeneralized Anxiety Disorder. Answer: Introduction Anxiety is a very common mental disorder that can affect anyone. The problems related to occasional anxiety can occur at any time and with anyone. The feeling of fear and being anxious becomes common while working, in studies and facing some kind of challenging situation. Occasional anxiety problems are very common. The feeling of fear can be a common problem, but presence of anxiety disorder is different from this general state. When the level of anxiousness and stress increases to the normal level and becomes a temporary state is related with anxiety disorder. The problem of anxiety can get worse with time, if left untreated. The problem and symptoms of anxiety can be a barrier in daily routine, studies, and job and can even affect relationships and social aspects of ones life. This essay will focus on the case study of Georgia, who is a 22 years old girl. According to the information provided by Georgia, she has been facing difficulty in concentrating on her studies. She finds difficulty in completing her assignments and at the time of exams she feels panicky. In such conditions, she feels shortness of breath and also feels that her heart is pounding. She has lack of social support and lives alone in a flat near her University. She could not even get a driving license, as she found that driving test was too stressful and she almost had an accident in the second attempt to give driving test. The essay will focus on the current problem of Georgia. The paper will discuss the comprehensive details about the mental health problem and will discuss the importance of personal recovery. Paper will also discuss the mental health needs of Georgia and will provide the implications about the role of healthcare professional. Sound Understanding of Mental Illness According to the given subjective and objective data in the case study, Georgia suffers from Anxiety disorder. This kind of mental illness is very prevalent in Australia. The diagnosis of this mental illness is very important, as this mental illness can alter the behavior, mood and thinking ability of the individual. Anxiety disorder can result in mental impairment that interferes with daily life functioning (Lader, 2015, p. 699). Anxiety disorders can be divided in different subgroups and according to the symptoms displayed in case of Georgia, she has been suffering with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. This is the very first phase of the anxiety disorder and symptoms can vary in patients. Some of the most common physical symptoms of GAD are fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty in concentrating, sleeping problems, irritability, sweating and feeling of nausea at times (Lader, 2015, p. 701). In the case of Georgia she has been facing all these symptoms. Some of the psychological symptoms of GAD are persistent worrying and inability to let go of the worries (Lissek et al, 2014, p. 911). The patient finds difficulty in resting and concentrating on important things can also become challenging (Hanna, 2015, p. 141). Georgia is also facing all of these challenges in her life, which are making her situation more difficult. Earlier she used to go out with her friends, but now she prefers to stay at home. The GAD is the problem, which gets worse over time (Hanna, 2015, p. 141), and Georgias condition has also worsened in past six months. Anxiety disorders can occur due to various environmental and genetic reasons. The highest risk factor in the case of anxiety disorder is having a family history of disease (McGrandles, Duffy, 2012, p. 49). According to the information provided by Georgia, her mother suffers from anxiety disorder. Georgia is non-smoker and use alcohol occasional ly. Personal Recovery and Its Importance of Georgia Personal recovery is a very effective approach for mental disorders. This approach is useful for people, as it helps to improve their self-esteem and also increases confidence. The person centered approach in mental healthcare has proved to be very beneficial. To address the mood and anxiety disorder, person centered approach is applied. Personal recovery concept is based on the person centered approach and model of recovery focus on the personal aspects and needs of the patients (Coulombe et al, 2016, p. 5). The personal recovery approach recommends supporting and engaging people in self-management as a recovery avenue. Though there is lack of evidences that proves the importance of the self-management strategies (Coulombe et al, 2016, p. 5). The contemporary approach in the metal health services is based on supporting people and promoting their engagement in their recovery process rather than providing a comprehensive treatment plan (Storm, Edwards, 2013, p. 312). This approach considers and respects the autonomy and dignity of the patients. The concept behind recovery is to reduce the clinical symptoms of mental illness, but the personal recovery approach is based on the recovery path and focus on overall well-being of the individual. Providing a way to meaningful life is the base of personal recovery and person centered approach (Coulombe et al, 2016, p. 7). The aim of this concept is to strengthen people to engage in their own well-being. Thus, the complete process of the personal recovery focuses on all aspects of life, through which it aims to support people in self management of their mental health issue. Georgia lives alone in a flat and lives away from her parents. Since last two years she had not had any relationships, and due to her mental health problem, she has also withdrawn from social engagements. Lack of personal and social support can deteriorate her condition in future and she may suffer from more sever anxiety condition (McEvoy et al, 2012, p. 1378). The person centered approach in Personal recovery model focuses on developing resilience and coping skills in Georgia. The personal recovery approach will focus on changing the thinking process and feelings of Georgia, as it does not believe in just reducing the symptoms of illness, but focus on changing the thinking and attitude of the patient for healthy life (Whitley, Drake, 2010, p. 10). The personal recovery will encompass clinical as well as personal aspects. It will focus on reducing the clinical symptoms; as well will bring improvement in emotional, spiritual and social aspects of living (Provencher, Keyes, 2013, p. 279). The personal recovery approach will give importance to the person and not to the illness. It will focus on the way of recovery and not only the outcomes of the treatment. Personal recovery will help Georgia to improve her attitude towards stressful situation and she will learn to develop resilience and coping. Nexus Between Mental Health and Physical Health People suffering with mental disorders often face physical problems. The relationship between mental health and physical health is very important relationship. With appropriate mental health, person cannot have good physical health. According to the study of Hert et al (2011, p. 55), the lifespan of the people suffering with mental disorder is lesser than general population, which indicates the relationship between mental and physical health. The mortality in such cases is due to ill physical health. The evidence based study of Parks et al (2006, p. 25) display that there is a prevalence of many kind of physical health problems in people suffering with depression and anxiety. The people suffering with mental illness may have higher risk associated with being affected by obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The mental health problems can affect the daily life functioning of an individual and can also affect their personal and social relationships. According to the given case scenario, mental health condition of Georgia has deteriorated her physical health, as she often feels tired and even experience shortness of breath. She also suffers from sleeping problems, which can result in Insomnia. Thus mental illness is a major risk factor for many non-communicable diseases, and individual can become self-care deficit in future (Kolappa, Henderson, Kishore, 2013, p. 3). The psychological distress can expose the individual to many chronic diseases and reduce their quality of life. The higher level of physical health problems are associated with reduced quality of life, low mood and depression. Thus nexus between mental and physical health is very significant and requires to be addressed in case of Georgia. Mental Health Needs of Georgia It is important to address the mental health needs of the patient. This will help in developing appropriate health interventions and will also improve patient outcomes. Georgia suffers from generalized anxiety disorder, which is affecting her psychological and physical health. The first requirement of Georgia is to have emotional support system. The professionals are required to make therapeutic relationship with Georgia, so that she can talk about her problems and fears. Therapeutic relationship will help to empower and encourage patients towards achieving their goals and to instill hope in them. The person centered approach will be applied to provide support to the patient, so that she can feel confident and safe (Fisher, 2011, p. 11). The personal recovery approach for Georgia will focus on reclaiming sense of safety and security. Due to lack of family support, she may feel vulnerable towards her condition and may not be able to cope up with her anxiety and stress. For the purpose of developing coping skills, she needs educational sessions and support of her family. Cognitive behavioral therapy could be an effective measure to understand the needs of Georgia. This will also help to effectively prevent the relapses and for maintaining her well-being. Communication and counseling programs will be used to understand her mental state and her needs. Communication will help to make effective intervention with the patient and will also help in making goal based interventions. She requires facing her fears and developing self-esteem, thus nursing care plans will help her to develop self-esteem and to face her fears directly. Implications for the Practice as Healthcare Professional The role of mental healthcare professional is very significant. The professional are required to provide patient centered care with the approach of personal recovery. For developing holistic well-being in patient Healthcare professionals are required to be more focused towards needs of the patient. For the purpose of future practice, I would implement that therapeutic role and developing trustful relationships with patients. Maintaining professional boundaries is also important (Wahass, 2005, p. 53). The future practice will be based on the biopsychosocial approach that will focus on physical, psychological and social well-being of the patients. For providing quality care to the patients it is important to understand and practice different aspects of treatment. Biopsychosocial approach views the physical health and illness as interrelated concepts. It also encompasses various factors such as genetic, social, behavioral and cultural that affects the health and well-being of an individual (Miller, Druss, 2013, p. 112). Thus, future implications will be based on developing more skills about cultural awareness, competency, personal needs of patient and their identity in society. Conclusion Mental health problems are present in Australia. People suffer from various kind of mental health problems, but the most common mental health issue is anxiety disorder. The paper is based on the case study f Georgia, who is a 22 years old University student and has been facing stress and anxious feeling in her daily life. Her problems has been increasing with time, according to self reported data, she feels panicky at the time of test and find difficulty in concentrating on her studies. This case study is used to prepare this paper about mental health problems related to Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The paper discussed the comprehensive understanding and details about the Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The paper demonstrated that accurate and detailed information about the mental disorder. With the help of relevant and current literature provide comprehensive information about the illness. The paper also provides information about person centered approach of personal recovery. This approach is found to be very significant for Georgia. The relationship between mental health and physical health has been discussed with relevant resources. The paper also included the importance of recognizing and responding towards the needs of the patient to promote overall well-being. References Coulombe, S., Radziszewski, S., Meunier, S., Provencher, H., Hudon, C., Roberge, P., ... 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