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Generalized Anxiety Disorder

  • Chapter
Behavioral Theories and Treatment of Anxiety

Abstract

Generalized anxiety disorder is the human disorder previously referred to as anxiety neurosis and sometimes described as free-floating or pervasive anxiety. One estimate is that such anxiety disorders occur in 2% to 5% of the population in the United States and Britain (Marks & Lader, 1973). Generalized anxiety disorder differs from panic disorder in being a more persistent, chronic condi tion of tension, while panic disorder appears to be characterized by recurring experiences of extreme tension. Hence there are differences in duration and in intensity. A person suffering from generalized anxiety disorder often complains, “I’m constantly tense and jumpy all the time … it’s like I know something dreadful is going to happen … my hands are clammy, I can’t concentrate … it’s affecting my whole life.” In contrast, one client diagnosed as suffering from panic disorder reported, “I was riding my bicycle … and suddenly … my heart was going so fast I was sure I was having a heart attack. I wanted to hide somewhere … I was petrified … I thought … I’m going mad … the fright … made me want to scream” (Suinn, 1981a). A distinction should be made between the generalized anxiety disorder and the phobic disorder since both are characterized by similar patterns of responses, such as autonomic arousal, somatic-behavioral disruptions such as trembling, and cognitive responses such as worrying. A major distinction is that phobic disorders are characterized according to the stimulus aspects of the disorders. Phobic disorders are associated with distinctive cue conditions which, when present, precipitate the fear reaction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA

    Richard M. Suinn

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  1. Richard M. Suinn
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  1. Department of Psychiatry Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Samuel M. Turner

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© 1984 Plenum Press, New York

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Suinn, R.M. (1984). Generalized Anxiety Disorder. In: Turner, S.M. (eds) Behavioral Theories and Treatment of Anxiety. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4694-4_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4694-4_7

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