Professional help with JUVENIS

Generalized anxiety disorder

We worry about physical ailments, medical examinations, exams or when someone close to us is unavailable for a long time and much more - worries characterize our everyday lives. However, if these fears and worries increase, persist over a longer period of time, become uncontrollable, interfere with everyday life and lead to considerable distress, we speak of a generalized anxiety disorder.

The content of the worries relates to many different areas, such as health, relationships, family, work/career, finances, etc. They mainly occur in the morning or evening and last for several hours for many of those affected. Fearful, threatening events are repeatedly replayed in the mind without finding a solution. These worries are often accompanied by various physical symptoms, such as restlessness, tension, headaches, sleep disorders or reduced performance.

JUVENIS consultation room for the treatment of an anxiety disorder

Treatments & therapies

At the JUVENIS Medical Center, competent psychiatrists and psychologists are available to assist you in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Our range of therapies covers this field:

Conditions for the development of a generalized anxiety disorder

Each treatment is preceded by a precise diagnosis. In addition, an individual explanatory model is created that provides insight into the development of the disorder. This takes into account pre-existing risk factors as well as triggers and maintaining factors of the illness.

1. examples of pre-existing risk factors

  • The predisposition to anxiety can be inherited.

  • Negative experiences in childhood (death, accident, illness, etc.)

  • The parents or other important caregivers are already showing anxious behavior.

  • These factors can lead to those affected showing low self-confidence in problem solving as early as childhood.

Please contact JUVENIS by phone at +43 1 236 3020by e-mail to empfang@juvenismed.at or via the contact formto make an appointment for a consultation or treatment.

2. examples of disease-causing factors

  • Stresses such as death, accident, financial difficulties, illness

  • Longer-lasting burdens such as chronic illness, single parenthood, double and multiple burdens due to work, children and household, parents in need of care, etc.

  • Changes in life circumstances - unemployment, career change (e.g. including promotion), pregnancy, birth of a child, divorce/separation, etc.

3. examples of sustaining factors

  • Frequent assessments of a situation as threatening

  • Attention is increasingly focused on potential threats.

  • Constantly trying to suppress or avoid worries (the worries are not thought through to the end and not processed)

  • Safety behaviors such as reassurance (with the partner, boss or doctor), control behavior (counting money, checking at work to avoid mistakes) lead to short-term relief, but maintain the disorder in the long term.

  • Avoidance behavior (situations and activities that could activate the worries are avoided) or distraction (through a lot of work, sport, TV) also perpetuates the problem. This prevents the patient from experiencing whether their worries are justified at all.

Talk therapy for generalized anxiety disorder

As part of a medical examination, physical complaints that cause anxiety must be ruled out, such as heart or thyroid disease.

Talk therapy for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) (ICD 10 F 41.1) with Dr. Jutta Leth, MD

GAD is characterized by suffering from the physical manifestations of anxiety, as well as concentration disorders, nervousness, sleep disorders and polytopic fears of illness, death, accidents, etc. The individual symptoms occur in varying combinations as a subliminal permanent condition. Permanent anxiety, incessant brooding and a state of constant tension are present. Fears of losing control of all kinds and fear of fear increasingly characterize the picture, often followed by physical symptoms such as heart stumbling, palpitations, blood pressure fluctuations, globus sensation, subjective feeling of not being able to breathe, non-specific digestive disorders, muscle tension, tinnitus and vertigo etc. as well as catastrophizing interpretations of physical sensations. An inability to switch off and relax gradually develops, coupled with increasing anxiety and sensitivity to noise.

At the beginning of therapy, anxiety patients often need structure and process-oriented "guidance" as well as psychoeducational explanations of the therapeutic procedure and the inner psychological experience. After clarifying a therapeutic goal and establishing a therapeutic alliance, the deficits in self-experience are gradually uncovered and the underlying self-pathology is compensated for. The central emotional schema in generalized anxiety disorder is a worrying, overly responsible feeling.

Increased tolerance for negative affects, changes in specific negative self-beliefs and identification/modification of defenses against organismic experiences gradually lead to an increased willingness to relate authentically to oneself and others. Learning compassionate self-soothing and dialogue with wounded parts of the self is central to this, as is verbalizing emotional content, learning to name and establish a personal relationship to fear, fear-spitting and learning to distinguish between primary and secondary maladaptive emotional reactions ("unfinished business", "empty chair work" with former relevant attachment figures, etc.). Symbolization of experiences, activation of positive experiences and existing successful coping strategies gradually lead to more self-control and confidence in one's own abilities, so that fear of self-damaging experiences and avoidance behaviour can be reduced in the course of therapy. However, the central element in all of this is the quality of the therapeutic relationship.

MedR. Dr. med. Jutta Leth at JUVENIS

Costs

Treatment Price
1 therapy session (50 minutes) for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder by Dr. Jutta Leth € 200

In talking therapy for generalized anxiety disorder, a frequency of 1 session per week is usual.

The costs of "clinical-psychological treatment" are not reimbursed by the health insurance company. Some private supplementary insurances often cover part of the costs - however, patients should ask their supplementary insurer about this.

It is also possible to deduct clinical-psychological treatment from tax as an extraordinary burden.

FAQs

Generalized anxiety disorder is a mental health condition in which those affected suffer from persistent, excessive worry and anxiety. These feelings often relate to various aspects of life and are difficult to control.

Common symptoms include:

  • constant worries and fretting

  • inner restlessness and tension

  • concentration problems

  • Sleep disorders

  • physical symptoms such as palpitations, muscle tension, or stomach discomfort

The causes are usually varied and may include:

  • genetic predisposition

  • chronic stress or stressful life events

  • Changes in brain metabolism

  • personal and psychological factors

Treatment is tailored to each individual and may include:

  • psychotherapy sessions

  • Behavioral therapy

  • Relaxation and Stress Management Strategies

  • medication as needed

The goal is to alleviate concerns and improve quality of life.

The process begins with a thorough evaluation and medical history review. We then develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.

In many cases, the condition responds well to treatment. With the right treatment, symptoms can be significantly reduced or completely eliminated.

The duration depends on the individual's progress. Treatment typically lasts several weeks to several months.

Helpful steps include:

  • regular exercise

  • Relaxation exercises (e.g., breathing techniques)

  • structured daily routine

  • Stress reduction

  • open discussions about concerns

If your worries are constantly affecting your daily life, you feel tense all the time, or you’re experiencing physical symptoms, you should seek help as soon as possible.

Psychotherapeutic interventions generally have few side effects. When it comes to medication, potential side effects are discussed on an individual basis.

The cost depends on the scope of the therapy and the number of sessions. A therapy session (50 minutes) with MedR. Dr. Jutta Leth costs €200.

You can get the exact prices during a personal consultation.

Depending on the type of treatment, your health insurance may cover some or all of the costs.

At JUVENIS, you will be cared for by experienced medical specialists and therapists. Through personalized treatment plans and empathetic support, we aim to achieve a lasting improvement in your quality of life and a targeted reduction in anxiety.

Here, we’ve answered the most common questions about generalized anxiety disorder . If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us atempfang@juvenismed.at or by phone at +43 1 236 3020.

Team

Surgeon Dr. Jutta Leth

MedR. Dr. med.Jutta Leth, MD

Specialist in psychiatry & psychotherapeutic medicine, client-centered psychotherapist
Curriculum vitae

Contact us

Matching blog posts

  • OA Dr. Jutta Leth

How do you get through the Christmas parties if you don't like being around people? Dr. Jutta Leth informs

15.12.2023|Comments Off on How do you get through the Christmas parties if you don't like being around people? Dr. Jutta Leth informs

In an article in the daily newspaper "Die Presse", Dr. Jutta Leth, a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapeutic medicine, explains how introverts and highly sensitive people can save themselves over the Christmas holidays. For all of them, parties can [...]

Psychotherapist for behavioral therapies Dorothea Bertram now at JUVENIS in Vienna

26.9.2022|Comments Off on Psychotherapist for behavioral therapies Dorothea Bertram now at JUVENIS in Vienna

Psychotherapist Dorothea Bertram joins the JUVENIS team in Vienna with immediate effect. Psychotherapy for Behavioral Therapy Mag. Dorothea Bertram at JUVENIS in Vienna Her specialties are: Anxiety - panic attacks Work and career Burnout / burnout prevention [...]

Responsible for the content of this page: MedR. OÄ Dr. med. Jutta Leth