Depression and Anxiety Disorders
Depression: A strong emotional condition where people withdrawal because of intense feelings of sadness and hopelessness. We all feel sadness and hopelessness but depression is marked by feeling these symptoms intensely for longer than 2 weeks. Suicidal thoughts are often common in people who are depressed. Large portions of the people who commit or attempt suicide are clinically depressed and may suffer from other mental illnesses.
Anxiety: Distress or uneasiness of mind caused by a fear of danger or misfortune.
Panic Attack: Intense anxiety felt for a few seconds and up to a few minutes. Physical symptoms include sweating, pounding heart, tense muscles, hyperventilation and others. Sweaty palms could be a warning sign of a panic attack.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety Disorders define a series of related mental illnesses. It is common that people have mixed anxiety disorders and suffer from more than one of the disorders in figure 02-02a.
Figure 02-02a: List of Anxiety Disorders
| Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) | When people feel abnormal amounts of anxiety and fear of everyday circumstances. It makes sense that anxiety is often felt in addition to depression. Because of our depression we may be afraid and have high levels of anxiety surrounding our health, family, work, and finances all of which can be crippled by depression and anxiety. |
| Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) | When people have frequent recurring unpleasant thoughts (obsessions) that cause them to develop repetitive behaviors to reduce stress and anxiety (compulsions). |
| Separation Anxiety | When children or teenagers are separated from their parents or expecting to be separated from them they may feel extreme anxiety when thinking about it. This anxiety greatly affects the child’s regular routines and mood. |
| Panic Disorder | A person with Panic Disorder has panic attacks and fears having more. A panic attack is intense rush of fear/anxiety that may last for a few seconds to several minutes. Panic Disorder often makes people shut themselves in their homes, and they develop Agoraphobia in addition to Panic Disorder. |
| Social Anxiety Disorder | Panic and anxiety that we are being judged or that we will embarrass ourselves in social situations. Also known as social phobia. |
| Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | This disorder occurs in people who have witnessed a tragic event such as a war, natural disaster, accident, etc. People with PTSD often relive tragic events through frequent nightmares and flashbacks. |
| Phobias | Phobias are unreasonable fears of an object situation or activity. The objects of phobias include flying, enclosed spaces, water, spiders, dogs, etc. |
Depression and Mixed Anxieties
Major Depressive Disorder and other types of depression are often comorbid with a mixture of anxiety disorders. Doctor’s will incorporate different drugs and different therapies for the different types of anxiety. Generally an anxiety disorder is treated using anti-anxiety medications and therapy that doctors will often incorporate with treatment for depression.
Anxiety and Depression in Children
Depression and anxiety have no age discrepancy. A small percent of children are diagnosed with a type of depression coupled with anxiety. These comorbid cases are especially hard on the victims. Their lives become centered on pessimism and fear and they lack self-confidence and happiness. They may not be unable to function in groups or crowds due to intense social anxiety and depression. Children frequently experience intense anxiety when they are separated or hear the news that they will be separated from their parents or caregivers. This is not that unusual as we would all feel anxiety among other things if we were dependant on someone and lost them.
Social Anxiety and Depression
Social anxiety is another common anxiety disorder comorbid with a depression. I think we can all understand the feeling we get when we are being judged poorly. People with social anxiety avoid social situation and feel anxiety towards them because an illness is causing them to believe people are thinking negatively of them. This illness occurs in children and teens commonly, many people experience social anxiety when children. Teen depression may be compounded with Social Anxiety disorder or Social Phobia.
Overcoming Anxiety and Depression
We can keep a depression and anxiety journal to recognize our triggers and how we overcome the feelings when they are the strongest. We should recognize the common signs and symptoms of these illnesses so we can see to it that our family members who many develop the disorder are treated quickly with speedy intervention. We should work out a support program that is based on personal knowledge of triggers and relief. Professionals can teach us immediate coping strategies for our worse moments, struggling with these disorders.
Professionals recommend all of the following treatments upon diagnosisof anxiety and depression:
- Counseling: Typically mental health professional use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as counseling for anxiety disorders. Professionals help us sift through the thoughts, emotions and behaviors, and triggers contributing to our mental illness. They search for what professionals call cognitive distortions, which are basically distortions in our thoughts or beliefs that make us think, feel, and believe destructive things. Patients are meant to continue therapy in their own time, identifying the causes and symptoms of their illness to find treatment.
- Medication: Anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants will help reduce the response to our depression. Anti-anxiety drugs relax us while anti-depressant balance chemicals in our brains that effect mood. Anxiety and Depression are among the most treatable illnesses especially when treatment start early in the disorder.
- Support groups: Make some friends, share your thoughts and experience with others to help each other overcome anxiety and depression and get back to living normal lives. Sometimes going to a support group once a week with a loved one keeps us focus on battling and keeping our illness at bay.
- Self-help: Regular exercise and healthy diet are proven to help us fight depression and anxiety disorders. Scheduling regular activities and sticking to your plans is one step in the right direction. Often people with depression and anxiety have a loss of interest in doing anything. If we manage our stress at work and at home and make time for friends and family we will feel more at ease with ourselves and scheduled responsibilities. Spirituality may be an important part of some people’s treatment. Alcohol or drugs should be avoided as they can increase the intensity of symptoms. Talk to your doctor about your personal efforts in combating your illness together you may discover the key in eliminating your symptoms. Gather as much information about your illness as you can. This will aid the both you and the doctor in treatment.
Coping with Anxiety and Depression
Dealing with anxiety and depression is a constant battle for some people. For others these feelings come and go in their life time rather quickly and don’t really affect their mental health. Some people have developed better emotional skills and avoid falling victim to the cognitive distortions that influence disorders. In an anxiety and depression disorder the feelings last an abnormally long amount of time and we must make a constant effort to stay on top of our emotions and monitor our response to our treatment. Without treatment prognosis is not good for people with anxiety and depression. These illnesses can wreak havoc on our personal and professional lives for months and years.