Anxiety
People with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) go through the day filled with exaggerated worry and tension, even though there is little or nothing to provoke it. They anticipate disaster and are overly concerned about health issues, money, family problems, or difficulties at work. Sometimes just the thought of getting through the day produces anxiety.
GAD is diagnosed when a person worries excessively about a variety of everyday problems for at least 6 months. People with GAD can’t seem to get rid of their concerns, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants. They can’t relax, startle easily, and have difficulty concentrating. Often they have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Physical symptoms that often accompany the anxiety include fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, having to go to the bathroom frequently, feeling out of breath, and hot flashes.
When their anxiety level is mild, people with GAD can function socially and hold down a job. Although they don’t avoid certain situations as a result of their disorder, people with GAD can have difficulty carrying out the simplest daily activities if their anxiety is severe.
GAD affects about 6.8 million American adults,1 including twice as many women as men. The disorder develops gradually and can begin at any point in the life cycle, although the years of highest risk are between childhood and middle age. There is evidence that genes play a modest role in GAD.
Other anxiety disorders, depression, or substance abuse often accompany GAD, which rarely occurs alone. GAD is commonly treated with medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy, but co-occurring conditions must also be treated using the appropriate therapies.1
1. From the National Institute of Medical Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml?rf=53414#pub7
GAD is diagnosed when a person worries excessively about a variety of everyday problems for at least 6 months. People with GAD can’t seem to get rid of their concerns, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants. They can’t relax, startle easily, and have difficulty concentrating. Often they have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Physical symptoms that often accompany the anxiety include fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, having to go to the bathroom frequently, feeling out of breath, and hot flashes.
When their anxiety level is mild, people with GAD can function socially and hold down a job. Although they don’t avoid certain situations as a result of their disorder, people with GAD can have difficulty carrying out the simplest daily activities if their anxiety is severe.
GAD affects about 6.8 million American adults,1 including twice as many women as men. The disorder develops gradually and can begin at any point in the life cycle, although the years of highest risk are between childhood and middle age. There is evidence that genes play a modest role in GAD.
Other anxiety disorders, depression, or substance abuse often accompany GAD, which rarely occurs alone. GAD is commonly treated with medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy, but co-occurring conditions must also be treated using the appropriate therapies.1
1. From the National Institute of Medical Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml?rf=53414#pub7
Music's Benefits for People With Anxiety
Anxiety not only occurs as a disorder, but a feeling experienced by most during stressful times such as before or after surgery. This abstract from an article published in the journal Music and Medicine explains music's benefits in these cases:
Stress and anxiety are common responses to illness, hospitalization, and surgery. Increased stress and anxiety during a surgical procedure or recovery can negatively impact health outcomes, leading to longer surgical and recovery times and complications. It is believed that music implementation in the perioperative environment can reduce the stress and anxiety levels of patients. Twenty-six patients electing to have cosmetic surgery participated in this study. Fourteen were provided with preselected music during their preoperative period while 12 were not. Patients receiving the music reported 18% (P = 0.002) less anxiety after the intervention. Heart rate and blood pressure were recorded as physiological measures of stress but no significant changes were found. Results suggest that patients waiting for surgery benefit emotionally from hearing music. This low-cost, complementary therapy has the potential to improve the experience and outcomes of patients electing to have cosmetic surgery.2
Music has benefits for those with anxiety disorders as well. A study also published in the journal Music and Medicine explains music therapy's benefits:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate and short-term effects of 3 different types of music therapy interventions on the levels of depression, anxiety, anger, and stress in clients with alcohol dependence. Thirty-six male clients participated in 30-minute music therapy sessions twice a week over a period of 6 weeks. The music therapy program was comprised of singing, music listening, and playing instruments. Each activity was conducted for 2 weeks and for 4 sessions. A repeated measures pretest–posttest design was used. An analysis of variance indicated no statistically significant differences in the effects of the 3 types of music therapy interventions on the levels of depression, anxiety, anger, and stress; however, participants’ scores in depression, anxiety, anger, and stress were significantly reduced after participating in the music therapy sessions.3
2. The Benefit of Music for the Reduction of Stress and Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Elective Cosmetic Surgery
January 12, 2012 vol. 4 no. 1
Joanna DeMarco, MS, CHES
Jeffrey L. Alexander, PhD, FAACVPR
Guy Nehrenz, EdD, MA, RRT
Lisa Gallagher, MA, MT-BC
3. A Comparison of the Effects of Music Therapy Interventions on Depression, Anxiety, Anger, and Stress on Alcohol-Dependent Clients:
A Pilot Study
Eun-Young Hwang, PhD
Sun-Hwa Oh, MA
Stress and anxiety are common responses to illness, hospitalization, and surgery. Increased stress and anxiety during a surgical procedure or recovery can negatively impact health outcomes, leading to longer surgical and recovery times and complications. It is believed that music implementation in the perioperative environment can reduce the stress and anxiety levels of patients. Twenty-six patients electing to have cosmetic surgery participated in this study. Fourteen were provided with preselected music during their preoperative period while 12 were not. Patients receiving the music reported 18% (P = 0.002) less anxiety after the intervention. Heart rate and blood pressure were recorded as physiological measures of stress but no significant changes were found. Results suggest that patients waiting for surgery benefit emotionally from hearing music. This low-cost, complementary therapy has the potential to improve the experience and outcomes of patients electing to have cosmetic surgery.2
Music has benefits for those with anxiety disorders as well. A study also published in the journal Music and Medicine explains music therapy's benefits:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate and short-term effects of 3 different types of music therapy interventions on the levels of depression, anxiety, anger, and stress in clients with alcohol dependence. Thirty-six male clients participated in 30-minute music therapy sessions twice a week over a period of 6 weeks. The music therapy program was comprised of singing, music listening, and playing instruments. Each activity was conducted for 2 weeks and for 4 sessions. A repeated measures pretest–posttest design was used. An analysis of variance indicated no statistically significant differences in the effects of the 3 types of music therapy interventions on the levels of depression, anxiety, anger, and stress; however, participants’ scores in depression, anxiety, anger, and stress were significantly reduced after participating in the music therapy sessions.3
2. The Benefit of Music for the Reduction of Stress and Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Elective Cosmetic Surgery
January 12, 2012 vol. 4 no. 1
Joanna DeMarco, MS, CHES
Jeffrey L. Alexander, PhD, FAACVPR
Guy Nehrenz, EdD, MA, RRT
Lisa Gallagher, MA, MT-BC
3. A Comparison of the Effects of Music Therapy Interventions on Depression, Anxiety, Anger, and Stress on Alcohol-Dependent Clients:
A Pilot Study
Eun-Young Hwang, PhD
Sun-Hwa Oh, MA