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Anxiety Disorders and Depression
Anxiety disorders and depression are the two most common mental illnesses experienced by Americans. Approximately half of all people who suffer from anxiety disorders also suffer from depression.
Anxiety and Depression Basics
Anxiety disorders are real. Anxiety disorders are more than just "nerves". They are characterized by feelings of panic, fear, and discomfort that arise with no clear cause, in situations that are not usually stressful or dangerous. In many cases, anxiety disorders arise for no obvious reason and often without warning. The feelings of anxiety can happen over and over again, unless treatment is received. If left untreated, an anxiety disorder can make everyday life miserable.
Anxiety disorders are common. More than 19 million American adults live with anxiety disorders, which include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), phobias (including social phobia), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and panic disorder.
Anxiety disorders can interfere with having a full, productive life. People with anxiety disorders may experience extreme responses to non-threatening situations, and these reactions can create lives filled with chronic anxiety, terror or discomfort. However, with therapy and/or medication, people can have full and productive lives.
Anxiety disorders are linked to depression. The life-changing impact of anxiety disorders may trigger depression - and it's also true that depression may generate anxiety disorders. Two out of three people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety. About 80% of depressed individuals suffer psychological anxiety symptoms: unrealistic apprehension, fears, worry, agitation, irritability, or panic attacks. Some 60% of people with depression have anxiety-related physical symptoms: headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, and chronic pain, among others. Approximately 65% of those with depression experience sleep disturbances, about 20% feel agitated, 25% have phobia, approximately 17% report generalized anxiety symptoms and 10% suffer panic attacks.
Anxiety disorders are very treatable. Like depression, the most common and successful ways to treat anxiety disorders, are antidepressant medication, psychotherapy or a combination of the two.
The Major Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is usually the diagnosis if you experience six months or more of continual, extreme worry and tension that is not based on real concerns. Subjects include health, loved ones, finances, and jobs. Sometimes, the "worry" is nameless, taking the form of a constant feeling of dread.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is marked by obsessions - repeated, upsetting thoughts and images - that you cannot control by yourself. To combat these images and thoughts and ease anxiety, a person with OCD spends time in repetitive rituals (compulsions), such as hand washing, checking and re-checking, and following rigid procedures.
Panic Disorder is most often characterized by the presence of panic attacks, which are feelings and symptoms such as a pounding heart, chest pain, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, numbness and fear of dying. Panic attacks happen fast, appear out of the blue and take place over and over again. There is usually no physical cause for these attacks.
Phobias are deep-seated fears that are extreme, irrational and upsetting to a person's life. A person may experience a phobia to a specific object or situation that isn't usually harmful - such as claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces), and acrophobia (fear of heights). Social phobia is fear of being watched, embarrassed or humiliated while doing something in public, such as public speaking, eating, or writing. Agoraphobia is the fear of places or situations from which escape might be hard, like being in a crowd.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the long-term, severe and continuing reaction a person may experience following a disaster (such as a fire or earthquake) or a very traumatic experience (war, rape, or sexual abuse). PTSD often occurs in people after they have experienced or witnessed one or more acts of violence. Symptoms include nightmares, loss of sleep, and flashbacks. PTSD interferes with concentration and the ability to enjoy life.
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• Anxiety And Depression Most of us do experience occasional outbreaks of anxiety or momentary depression, at least once or twice in our lifetime. Anxiousness, changing moods, shifting metal attitude and a short term depression are all so common to thousands of people allover the world. Low intensity anxiety and depression also work as positive parameters, when we can prepare for a pending task or take precious time to reflect on our actions, and regroup our effort in order to get success in life.
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• Understanding Anxiety Disorders Anxiety disorders can have a devastating effect on those who suffer from them. Left untreated, anxiety disorders often inhibit an individual's ability to function normally in everyday life. Anxiety disorder may also be a source of additional tension caused by the strain the condition places on personal and professional relationships.
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• Coping with Anxiety Anxiety is a part of everyone's life. There are different ways of dealing with different of anxiety owing different causes. Proper treatment and support can help a person to deal with their anxiety in a better way and making living with it better. And with time one can find himself or herself free from the majority of their issues.
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• When Someone You Know Struggles With Depression And Anxiety What do you do when someone you know has to deal with persistent fears, anxieties or even depression? Well the first thing you need to do is to get the person to seek the services of a professional and/or counselor who can lead them in the right direction and give them the help they need. In addition, here are some other things you can do to help the person cope.
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• Dealing With A Mental Disorder, Your Anxieties, And Your Fears Anxiety is a part of everyone's life. There are different ways of dealing with different of anxiety owing different causes. Proper treatment and support can help a person to deal with their anxiety in a better way and making living with it better. And with time one can find himself or herself free from the majority of their issues.
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• A Simple Cure For Anxiety And Depression Ultimately, anxiety and depression are culturally-induced patterns of thinking that can be overcome through a deliberate cultivation of awareness. When you become your own observer, you weed out the unconscious habits that afflict you. Despite the billions of dollars spent to heal anxiety and depression, and all the mood disorders and behavioral anomalies that arise from them, the cure is simple, quick, and free.
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• Anxiety Is A Thief Have you ever experienced anxiety? I wouldn't hesitate to say that out of 100 adults surveyed, all 100 would tell you they have experienced some form of anxiety. Anxiety is a normal part of our existence. In the early years of man, anxiety and adrenalin served the purpose of keeping us alert to approaching danger. This kept us alive. Today, the anxiety that many of us feel is in response to ever increasing daily responsibilities and no increase in the amount of time available to take care of those responsibilities.
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• What About Medications for Anxiety and Depression? As a counselor, I am often asked, "Can medications be helpful for anxiety and depression?" The answer I give is "Yes" and "No." Yes, anxiety and depression medications may be useful for short-term help. No, anxiety and depression medications are not a good long-term solution. Anxiety and depression are not caused by a lack of medications . Medications do not heal the underlying causes of anxiety and depression. However, when medications are temporarily used to give a person a window of relief to do the inner work necessary to heal the underlying causes, they can be useful.
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• Food, Anxiety and Depression In our current society, there are many factors that can cause or contribute to anxiety and depression. Certainly money and work problems, relationship and family issues, as well as illness and loss of loved ones are major contributors to anxiety and depression. Also, how we feel about ourselves and treat ourselves contribute greatly to how we feel. Food is another major factor that greatly affects how we feel. Most people don't really notice that what they put into their bodies affects how they feel.
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• Coping With Stress and Anxiety Among the hardest parts of living in the modern world is stress and anxiety. With worries about work, the environment, the economy, natural disasters, terrorism, and the general state of the world, it seems that there is no end to the number of things to worry about. Though we cannot control many of these things, they still weigh on our minds and cause us stress and anxiety. However, despite these concerns, we should try to avoid stress and anxiety.
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• Depression - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment options The main symptom of depression is sadness or low mood level, but many other mental and physical symptoms also occur. Here are symptoms, causes and treatment options explained. Depression is a complex of psychological and physical symptoms. Low mood level or sadness is often the most prominent symptom. The common property of these symptoms is a decreased activity level in parts of the brain.
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• Can Antidepressant Medications Ever Cure You? Why antidepressants cannot provide a cure and how they can help a sufferer take the first step towards recovery. They're the plagues of the modern world. Stress, depression and anxiety are on the increase every year and they show no signs of ending their relentless onslaught. Over 40 million people are affected by these illnesses annually, and for the majority, powerful antidepressant drugs offer the only solution.
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• Help for Depression Help for all whose lives are touched by depression and anxiety. | | • Depression Help Center Information about depression and anxiety symptoms, treatment and management. | | • Medical Center Depression Medical Center for Depression Treatment, Help, Medication
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