Narrative: Bharat says he has never been laid-back or relaxed

Bharat, in his 30s, has always been someone who is anxious all the time. He says he has never been laid-back or relaxed. He was told by a friend to visit a doctor because the anxiety was getting in the way of working efficiently. He worked in an IT company and the pressure of completing specific tasks was immense.

His wife complained to the friend that Bharat, over the last several months, was irritable all the time. Even after sleeping all night, he would get up and complain about being exhausted. His wife said he was constantly forgetting things and was not focusing on what she was saying.

At the psychiatrist’s office, Bharat admitted that he was getting angry at the smallest things and was feeling overwhelmed at work. Since he could not exhibit his anger at work, he would come home and yell at his wife and kids. This made him feel guilty and ashamed. He was asked by the psychiatrist if he was tense or anxious all the time, to which Bharat vigorously nodded his head.

After several more minutes of chatting with Bharat and getting more details about his symptoms, the doctor diagnosed him with generalized anxiety disorder. Bharat was relieved to know that this was common and many people suffered from this kind of symptoms. He was glad that there was treatment available to help him reduce his levels of anxiety.

Bharat was started on medication. He also received weekly counseling for a few weeks. Within about two months of starting his medications, he told his doctor that this was the first time in his life when he was not constantly worried about something or the other.

Bharat now feels he is doing much better. His wife has clearly noticed the change in her husband too. His annual assessments have gone back to being excellent at work.

This narrative has been created with the help of mental health experts by taking into consideration symptoms and accounts from a cross-section of patients. The story is not a case study of any one particular person but is meant to be representative of a person suffering from the disorder mentioned.