How to Help Yourself—and Others—If You Have Anxiety or Depression, or Both
Even while we've made progress in the fight against mental health stigma, it can still be difficult for people to seek help for depression and anxiety. Part of this is due to a lack of mental health literacy in the United States. A 2021 study conducted during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic discovered that mental health literacy among American adults is low, and that people are unable to identify mental health symptoms and suitable treatment alternatives.
But you don't have to study papers in scientific publications to realize that our culture has a problem with mental health literacy. Simply navigate through social media or watch a TV on your preferred streaming service. For example, some people may claim to be "depressed" because they had a horrible day—and I sympathize; we've all been there—but depression is far more serious than that.
"Depression is often poorly understood, and brief bouts of low mood owing to a bad day are sometimes exaggerated to be 'depression,'" noted psychiatrist Dr. Benjamin Janaway in an email. "Depression, from a psychiatric standpoint, is well delineated, and involves, among other things, a near constant sensation of lowness, losses in energy, interest, and a variety of other things, such as eating, sleep, socializing, and a lack of hope."
Overall, sadness and anxiety can be difficult to understand, making it difficult to determine whether what a person is experiencing is normal or if they want professional assistance. One of the keys, according to Janaway, is to analyze the person's experience and conduct.
"In my own practice, my rule (and there aren't many) is, 'If the person wants help, or they or another person is in danger, then we can term it a concern," Janaway explained. "At the same time, we must recognize that emotions are a part of the human experience, but the depth and severity of the emotion determines whether we need to respond."
Here's everything you need to know about the symptoms and treatment of anxiety and depression, which impacted 25.4% of all American people aged 18 and up in 2019.
What exactly is ANXIETY?
Even though I've been struggling for almost a decade to improve my own mental health, it's been difficult for me at times to find the words to appropriately articulate what I was feeling—and this isn't unique to my experience. According to Jonathan Stea, a clinical psychologist and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Calgary, the term "anxiety" is a loaded term since people use it in different ways. For example, the term "anxiety" can be used colloquially in the context of everyday pressures, but its clinical meaning is distinct. In a nutshell, anxiety, according to Stea, is the anticipation of a future threat.
Anxiety presents itself in humans as worried thoughts and physical feelings such as sweating palms or a racing heart. It can also influence people's conduct when they are anxious. Some people may want to flee the situation, freeze up, or avoid it. Before you assume that everyone on the planet is suffering from clinical-level anxiety, keep in mind that anxiety is, to some extent, normal.
"It's critical to remember that anxiety is a normal and evolutionary adaptive response that we acquired to defend ourselves from danger." "In some life situations, we're intended to feel anxious," Stea explained. "The difficulty is that for some people, anxiety can become overwhelming, chronic, debilitating, and out of proportion to the real threat—in these circumstances, a person may be suffering from an anxiety disorder, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways."
The psychiatrist, Janaway, explained that hormonal or chemical changes in the body can also cause anxiety. For example, someone suffering with hyperthyroidism may become irritated and acquire a higher heart rate. That is why psychiatrists typically request blood testing to rule out physical factors initially.
"There is no way to treat an overactive thyroid with treatment," he said.
What exactly is DEPRESSION?
Stea points out that, like anxiety, "depression" is an umbrella term. However, as previously said, clinical depression is much more than simply feeling sad for a brief period of time.
"It can include normal, expected feelings of sadness or loss of interest or pleasure, for example, after an identifiable stressor, such as job or relationship loss—and it can also refer to psychiatric disorders, in which a person exhibits these symptoms along with clinically significant distress, impairment, and loss of functioning," he explained.
Furthermore, Stea emphasized that depression is difficult since depressed symptoms can appear in the context of other mental conditions, such as bipolar disorder or substance-induced depressive disorder.
Janaway also defined depression as a set of emotional, bodily, and social changes that occur as a result of loss. It can also appear as a result of a physical or chemical alteration in the body caused by sickness, hereditary predisposition, or drugs.
"Most depressive episodes can only be explained by a mix of all of these elements," Janaway said. "Reducing it to 'one cause' is not helpful."
Furthermore, those suffering from severe depression may lose touch with reality or project their feelings onto others. This can lead to them developing incorrect beliefs and experiences that are tough to live with. Suicide is another danger associated with depression that doctors take very seriously.
You might be anxious and depressed at the same moment
According to Stea, "Mental health literacy is a skill that must be learned and practiced over time, and relates to knowing mental disorders and their treatments, learning how to get and maintain positive mental health, learning how to receive help, and lowering stigma."
And, as Stea and Janaway both pointed out, people can be anxious and depressed at the same time.
"Of course, if one is afraid of the future, one will feel down, and if one is low and disempowered, one will feel nervous about moving forward in life." "It starts to make sense with the tale of how the person got into the circumstance they're in," Janaway explained.
However, he stated that in most cases, one illness predominates in an individual, so doctors treat that one first. Janaway emphasized that there is strong evidence that combining medication and therapy, or either alone, is beneficial. Doctors must collaborate with patients to determine the best approach.
When should you seek assistance?
As both Stea and Janaway said, fear and grief are natural parts of the human experience, making it difficult for those who are struggling to know when and if they should seek help. "I usually advise people to seek treatment when they believe their mental health issues are interfering with their lives," Stea said. "In other words, it's definitely worth speaking out when mental health difficulties become overpowering and burdensome, and they begin to limit a person's capacity to operate."
Janaway concurred, emphasizing the importance of seeking treatment when feelings (such as depression or stress) or habits (such as not eating, going out, or talking) become troubling. Individuals should also examine whether or not others are worried about them.
"This could indicate that people are concerned for your safety, that it has gone on for too long, or that this is not normal for you," the psychiatrist explained. "For example, feeling down and contemplating suicide after a breakup is not a normal occurrence."
Anxiety and Depression Treatment
Anxiety and depression treatment techniques might be similar in some ways and dissimilar in others. Stea, for example, points out that cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT—a type of talk therapy that teaches patients how to break negative habits in order to improve their feelings—is an evidence-based treatment strategy that is utilized for both depression and anxiety disorders. According to the psychologist, advanced branches of CBT focus on specific disorders, such as exposure-based therapies for anxiety and behavioral activation techniques for depression.
When it comes to medications, Janaway stated that, contrary to popular belief, psychiatry is "based on addressing biological, psychological, and social issues involved in the 'disorder,"symptom,' or 'problem.'" He also stated that there are many evidence-based approaches for treating both anxiety and depression, but the specific type of medication or therapy may differ. It all depends on the circumstances.
Stea underlined the importance of both mental health doctors and patients participating actively in the treatment strategy.
"Treatment plans should be developed in partnership with patients and based on a variety of elements, including medical history, psychotherapy history, and the specific mental-health-related reasons for which people seek treatment," Stea added.
Anxiety, Depression, and SUICIDE are all linked
It might be tough to discuss suicide, but it is necessary if we are to comprehend the dangers that anxiety and despair can pose to our loved ones. People suffering from despair and anxiety are more likely to commit suicide, and mental health experts take this seriously. Janaway explained that they aim to "help individuals safeguard themselves."
"Suicide might have a variety of motivations," he explained. "Sometimes it is about escaping pain and is seen as 'the only option' (and in reality, it never is), or it can be a fantasy designed to empower the person with a sense of control over their fate, or it can even form a function of revenge or punishment to others," he said, emphasizing that regardless of an individual's motivation, "we must ask ourselves whether this is something the person would 'normally do,' and the answer is no in 100% of cases."
Stea also stated that the causes of suicide are numerous and complex. While having mental health issues is one factor among many that contribute to suicide, other key socioeconomic factors such as child abuse, racism, and poverty all raise the risk of suicide.
How to Help Loved Ones Suffering From Anxiety and Depression
Talking to loved ones who are experiencing anxiety or sadness is one approach to assist them, according to Janaway. You might also inquire as to what assistance they require or propose that they contact a doctor.
"If you are extremely concerned about their safety, get emergency assistance, go to the emergency room, or contact the local crisis agency." "Never feel as if your concerns are unfounded, or that their symptoms are trivial," Janaway emphasized. "Because mental illness is difficult, seditious, and frequently camouflaged, take your concerns seriously."
Furthermore, it is critical to get assistance from knowledgeable and licensed mental health professionals. You are most likely not a professional, and social media health gurus are not experts to whom you should turn in times of mental distress.
#Anxiety #Depression #SeekHelp
SOURCE: lifehacker
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