Generalized Anxiety Disorders: Article Analysis

Alyssa Dunnet

Article Dissection 1

1) Bui, E., Hoge, E. A., Marques, L., Metcalf, C. A., Morris, L. K, Pollack, M. H., Robinaugh, J. D., Simon, N. M., & Worthington, J. J. (2013). Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation for generalized anxiety disorder: effects on anxiety and stress reactivity. J Clin Psychiatry, 74(8), 786-792. doi: 10.4088/JCP.12m08083.

2) Anxiety disorder is a serious disorder that is accompanied with severe worry and psychological hyperactivity. Although there are several medication used to help treat Anxiety, other may wonder what they can do to decrease the symptoms of anxiety naturally. This study tests the influence of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in participants who suffer from Generalized

When someone begins to have an anxiety “attack” many things begin to happen in their mind and their body. The first step of anxiety is our senses, when our senses pick up an internal threat the information travels through several areas of the brain. The first stop is the Amygdala that is our emotional core and it has the ability to trigger the fear response throughout our brain, sweaty palm, fast breathing, butterfly stomach and an increase in our body’s adrenaline. The fear sense then travels through the thalamus that will identify the sense and send it to the cortex that will identify whether or not a fear reaction is needed. When a sense is triggered for me many of these responses are present, this feeling is something that is indescribable to someone who does not suffer from GAD. Several medications known as SSRI’s are available to help treat this disorder but like myself, nobody wants to rely on medication for the rest of their lives. This is where mindfulness will come into play. Since taking this class and since practicing mindfulness it has helped be become more aware to my present, something I have an issue with. To help measure mindfulness you need to be able to let go control of your body and become attentive to your feelings and sensations, aware of your breathing and our body and to accept any feelings going on within your body. Once you begin to accept what changes are taking place you will be able to become more at peace within your own mind. Mindfulness based practice is not something that a happen overnight, it may take days weeks or months. But several studies have shown a positive outcome when using mindfulness-based practices. As someone who can never seem to calm my own mind being mindful has definitely given me the ability to do so, not completely but at a slow pace, it has given me the ability to think in the present