Anxiety Disorder: Investigating CAM Approaches to Generalized

Abstract Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by persistent, incapacitating worry without significant resolution of troubling questions or thoughts. Standard treatment approaches to GAD include pharmaceutical preparations or psychotherapeutic approaches such as cognitive-behavior therapy. While both treatment protocols have shown some level of efficacy, adverse effects produced by prescription medications and impediments to therapy related to time and cost have encouraged increased use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) approaches. Many CAM treatments exist for GAD, although few have sufficient strength of empirical studies to fully support their use within the current medical model. This article explores GAD and the intersection of standard and CAM approaches to this debilitating mental health disorder. KEYWORDS: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD, anxiety, CAM, complementary +and alternative medicine, aromatherapy, CBT, Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, lemon balm, lavender oil, Biofield Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, passionflower, kava Investigating CAM Approaches to Generalized Anxiety Disorder Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common and widespread psychiatric disorder characterized by incessant, debilitating worry. Due to its high prevalence, many studies have focused on GAD in terms of its etiology, assessment, and treatment. Yet, definitive biological explanations (i.e., genetic, neurobiological, neurochemical, neuroanotomical, etc.) remain elusive (Beidel & Stipelman, 2007). As a result, treatment of GAD continues to evolve with increased and improved research. Standard treatment protocols employ the use of prescription medications, psychotherapy, or both, resulting in low-to-modest remission rates, but often at the price of undesirable adverse health effects. A current increase in public interest in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has given rise to novel treatment suggestions for GAD. While additional research into CAM interventions may be warranted, the integration of standard and CAM approaches may best meet the needs of the GAD population at this time. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Characterized by "uncontrollable, unrealistic worry about more than one topic" (Huppert & Walther, 2007, para. 4) in combination with a range of physiological symptoms "including muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge, irritability, and difficulty concentrating" (Huppert & Walther, 2007, para. 4), GAD is a common diagnosis in the United States. Zoberi and Pollard (2010) noted that within a 12-month period, just over 3% of the population (or 6.8 million people) ages 18 and older suffer from GAD, the majority of whom are women. With lifetime prevalence rates falling between 3.6% and 12.7%, GAD is one of the most common debilitating mental health disorders experienced in the United States (Huppert & Walther, 2007). One among a variety of more specific anxiety disorders, GAD symptoms are experienced not in response to phobias or social situations, but are more globally present throughout the day, expressed in terms of unrelenting, incapacitating anxiety across a range of concerns. Those with GAD are often labeled "worrywarts" and describe themselves as unable to tolerate uncertainty. GAD sufferers believe that worrying will actually improve their ability to handle negative experiences that may occur in the future, yet Smitherman (2007) reported that "there is no strong consistent evidence that excessive worry improves problem-solving or coping skills" (para. 28). To the contrary, the chronic worrying that people with GAD experience may lead to a number of negative results, including overall lower quality of life; increased risk of suicide or suicide attempts; somatic complaints such as tension, fatigue, chest pain, sleep disturbance, and irritable bowel syndrome; and comorbid physiological conditions including diabetes and heart disease (Katzman, 2009, p. …