General Anxiety Disorder under the perspective of Gestalt Therapy

Abstract

Introduction: Anxiety is a biological characteristic of the human being, however, under excessive conditions it can reach a pathological level and bring harm to the well-being of individuals. Objective: This article aims to understand Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) according to Gestalt therapy, and thus to know its causes and treatment, from the perspective of its key concepts. Methodology: This research is characterized as a narrative review of articles published and indexed in the scientific database SCIELO, LILACS and PEPSIC and in the indexer BVS-Psi. The terms used to search the articles were: "Gestalt" AND "Anxiety". We used in this review 07 articles related to Gestalt and Gestalt and anxiety, published between 2003 and 2016, as well as classic books on theory and psychiatry. Results From the perspective of the Gestalt in the experience of anxiety individuals can not live the here and now, and suffer with future expectations, accumulating excitations that are contained. This contained excitement constitutes the background as an open gestalt that continually seeks its closure. The less self-perceptive the individual is, the greater will be their commitment to staying in control of situations. can not assimilate the new elements that are relevant to his development. If the individual is in the here and now, and let his arousal flow spontaneously, he can not be anxious. The principle of the hierarchy of needs is constantly operating in all individuals , for the most important situation to emerge, it is enough that the individual is aware of the experience of himself all the time without trying to control it. Final considerations: Understanding the TAG allows the therapist to help his patient perceive his process of blocking the excitations, providing the exit of the dysfunctional vicious cycle of break in the contact cycle.