Anxiety & Depression Treatment

There may be almost no one who has not faced a stressful situation in life. Anxiety is a set of responses that the human body triggers in response to stressful situations. When the responses are appropriate and in control, they may not affect you too much, and they are normal. If anxiety and symptoms of stress begin to affect your everyday life, then this should raise an alarm.
There are a number of common anxiety disorders.  For example, generalized anxiety disorder or GAD, post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorders, and phobias all fall under the tree of “anxiety disorder.” Most of these disorders have certain symptoms and signs associated with them. However, some of the characteristics of these disorders may be overlapping. The symptoms are usually dependent on the type of anxiety disorder that has affected the person, severity of the condition, and the physiological trauma that the person suffers during a panic attack.
The common physical symptoms caused by anxiety are muscle cramps, chest ache, dizziness, headaches, a feeling of “butterflies” in the stomach, perspiration or cold sweats, difficulty swallowing, breathlessness, rise in heart rate, frequent urination, fatigue, shivering, and sleeplessness. Some of these signs may also be caused due to other severe medical conditions, so sometimes may be mistaken for other ailments also.

Anxiety also causes several psychological signs. Some of the mental symptoms of anxiety are:
1. Irritation: Anger, irritability, on edge feeling. Irritability may be caused with or without provocation.

2. Feeling of impending doom: Many patients may feel that they are soon about to die or that death follows them closely. A feeling of constant pessimism is always there with them.
3. Madness: This is a common feeling associated with persons suffering from anxiety. They feel as if they are going crazy or that they are losing control of life.

4. Disturbance: They feel disturbance in their thoughts; some of these patients may feel disturbing images appearing before them, and experience difficulty getting these images out of their minds.

5. Difficulty in concentration: Patients suffering from anxiety disorders experience difficulty concentrating, and this difficulty affects both the body and mind, making it difficult for them to complete their day-to-day activities.
For most human beings, the symptoms of anxiety are short-lived, or experienced only briefly in response to some larger-than-normal stressor. These symptoms appear as a reflection of the stress that the person faces. But, when these symptoms are severe enough to affect your relationships or daily activities, they could be considered as the warning signs of a disorder. Normally, symptoms of stress are short-lived. But if they persist over a long period of time, they could be considered signs of a disorder.
In that case, it is always better to consult a doctor or psychologist, so that you are clearly aware of what you are experiencing, what may be in store for you, and what you could do to make it better for you. A doctor can give you the right kinds of tips to deal with your disorder symptoms, and how to channel your thoughts and energy in a better, productive, healthy way.

Anxiety can be caused by any number of factors. There are two ways to treat anxiety: medication and alternative therapy. Some common alternative therapies used to combat anxiety are aromatherapy, acupuncture, Bach’s flower remedies and Reiki.

Aromatherapy acts as a very rapid cure for anxiety. Aromatherapy makes use of essential oils available in plants to cure ailments.  It is quite a simple method to follow. The aromatherapy solution is made from oils and can be added to bath water, an inhaler, or a room diffuser. According to some aromatherapists, the following are good solutions to reduce or even cure anxiety:
• Anxiety due to tension is usually characterized by muscle cramps, aches and soreness. A mixture of 10 drops of clay sage, 15 drops of lavender and 5 drops of Roman chamomile can help to relieve it.

• Restless anxiety causes dizziness, profuse sweating, breathlessness, upset stomach and difficulty swallowing. Five drops of vetiver, 10 drops of juniper, and 15 drops of cedarwood mixed together can help to alleviate this.

• Constant worrying, brooding, uneasiness and paranoia are caused by apprehensive panic, and this can be cured using a mixture of 15 drops of Bergamot, 5 drops of lavender, and 10 drops of geranium.

Acupuncture is another method of alternative therapy that is used to treat anxiety disorders. In acupuncture, the therapist tries to control the individual’s life force, his body energy, or QI. Acupuncture has been proven to help reduce an increased heart rate, lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and increase rates of tissue regeneration. This therapy helps in calming the affected individual, and has been proven to be very effective for people stressed due to problems at work, with family, or other social relationships. Acupuncture also helps to boost the self-confidence of the patient, and is normally used instead of anti-depressants, tranquilizers and sleeping pills.

Bach’s flower remedies is an alternative treatment devised by Edward Bach, a doctor who devised a treatment plan that goes much beyond diagnosis and actual treatment of physical ailments.  It attempts to address the mental and emotional trauma caused by panic attacks. Bach’s treatment is based on personality and characteristics of the patient, rather than the symptoms of the disease, and this makes recovery very easy and effective. Bach observed that the sun’s heat draws out the essence of the flower through the dewdrops resting on the flower’s petals. He developed a way to extract the essence from flowers, and after analyzing the essence, he identified the flowers that attend to a wide range of psychological issues and problems.

Reiki is yet another method that is used as an alternative treatment for anxiety disorders. This is a method of natural healing, and it makes use of the universal life force to heal ailments. In Reiki, the energy that is drawn out of the practitioner’s body is transferred to the sufferer. This flow of energy helps to bring about better health and emotional well-being in the anxiety sufferer.

Have you experienced something like this? You were under a lot of stress for some long period of time, and then you broke down quickly, at an unexpected moment? This situation is called an anxiety or panic attack by doctors. When this occurs frequently enough to interrupt your life or activities as a social being, you need to realize that you might be suffering from anxiety disorder. Anxiety is essentially a state of heightened stress response, characterized by fear, irritation and physical symptoms of stress. The signs may vary in severity, based on the amount of stress you are going through, and may exist even after the stressor has disappeared.  Sometimes it may even occur even when a trigger is absent.

Anxiety disorders may also be called neurotic disorders. These disorders are very common these days, and most of us might have experienced symptoms at one time or the other. There are several classifications of anxiety disorders, such as the following:

• Agoraphobia, which may occur with or without panic disorder
• Social phobia
• Isolated phobia

There may be other anxiety disorders also, like panic disorders, generalized anxiety disorders and depressive disorders.

There are several branches of treatment available for anxiety. Medication is one among them. But it might very effective on its own. You must take medication together with therapy. Many researchers have revealed that the most efficient way to save one from anxiety disorders is to learn to control one’s emotions. This means that one should never lose oneself in reactive thinking. Learning to control emotions is one of the main focuses of therapy.

Like any other ailment, it is always better to be preventative than to deal with curing them after the disease has already occurred. There are some very simple techniques that you could use to keep panic attacks away. A balanced and controlled diet can also help to keep you free of stress and anxiety. If you happen to follow a diet that is mostly junk food, you need to remember that it is unhealthy and can exacerbate the symptoms of anxiety disorders if you suffer from them. You would also be more prone to symptoms if you lead a stressful life. A diet that is rich in junk food may sometimes trigger chemicals in your blood stream and cause anxiety.

Another way to keep anxiety is bay is to make a few changes to your not-so-healthy lifestyle. You should introduce some form of regular exercise into your lifestyle, however stressed out and busy you might be. The exercise regime you follow could be of any type, but you need to make sure that you follow it regularly, and it becomes an activity of your routine.

Stress-relieving techniques that aid in relaxation go a long way in combating anxiety disorders. Meditation, stress relieving sessions, yoga, and breathing exercises are excellent stress busters to keep you away from panic disorders forever. This is sure to help in reducing your stress levels and anxiety.

Anxiety can be referred to as a physiological state, which has unpleasant emotional and behavioral components. These components can bring out feelings of fear, apprehension, irritation and worry. Along with these emotions, one might also experience physical signs or symptoms like increased heart rate, nausea, a feeling of chest compression, difficulty breathing, stomach trouble, muscle cramps and headache. You may experience all, none, or some of these symptoms with varying severity.

Panic attacks could happen to anyone. But if they become so severe that you find it difficult to stay social or carry out your daily activities, you need to consider it serious. The first step you need to take is to consult your doctor, and get the right kind of treatment going. This is quite important, because if you shut yourself away, it will be harder to seek help. Also, most of these symptoms are very common with certain other ailments, and it is equally important that you rule out any of them. Along with a doctor, you might want to consult psychologist. This will help to keep track of your emotions, before they shoot up and spill over completely.

Anxiety or panic attacks are one of the most common conditions among human beings. Because of the large number of people experiencing them, there has been a considerable amount of research done on the symptoms or signs, causes, and treatment of anxiety disorders. The research has been taken up all over the globe. The research has helped to develop effective treatments for each of the anxiety disorders.

The treatments available for anxiety disorders could be classified in two categories: they are medical and alternative treatment methods. There are people who choose both of them, and both these approaches have proven to be effective to keep most kinds of anxiety disorders at bay. You can choose between the two branches of treatment based on your preferences as well as the disorder in particular. However, before choosing any mode of treatment, you should consult a doctor, and the doctor will complete a careful analysis of the anxiety disorder you have, the current state of the disorder, and whether all your symptoms are because of it.

It is also important for you and your doctor to work together to decide upon your treatment options and how to move forward. This ensures the best possible treatment approach is chosen. Most anxiety medications would take a while (approximately two weeks) to begin having an effect, and in the meantime, you must be in touch with a psychologist to get other treatment options that can help you to stay calm and controlled. Your doctor will also provide you with books and other materials on your disorder while the medication starts working on you.

Breathing exercises, counseling and other psychological activities are essential to combat anxiety attacks. These help in easy recovery, and may save you from dependence on medication for the rest of your life. Medication in the case of most of these disorders only serves as a shield against the symptoms; it does not provide a complete cure. So, choosing the best combination of medication and alternative treatment is essential.

Depression is a mental disorder that brings all kinds of negative energies and waves. Everything seems to be unhelpful. The world seems to be coming to an end. When we read these situations, we might think it’s normal or not very serious. However, it can be very dangerous-possibly fatal- for the people going through this condition. If proper guidance in not given to a person suffering from depression, the -end for him could be suicide.  The World Health Organization has given a figure of 850,000 lives being lost per year due to this.

SYMPTOMS

First of all, it is important that we recognize whether a person is going through depression or not. There is a drastic change in behavior that a person going through this state that can easily be identified. There can be different forms of changing in behavior. Some of the important symptoms are:

• Feeling distant from the world
• Constant headache
• Little to no sleep
• Bad or scary dreams
• Self -hate, guilt
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of  interest in life in general

These are some of the key symptoms, although they are not the only ones.. Any drastic change in behavior can be because of depression and should not be ignored.

CAUSES

Now what are the causes that lead a person to this sort of situation? It can be because of:

• Financial issues
• Break-ups/ divorces
• Serious illness
• Not enough affection/love/ care
• Students failing in school
• Loss of job or loss in business
• Acts of violence, such as rape
• A psychological complex

Again, this isn’t the entire list of causes.

CURE

Depression is not a disease. It is just a situation that can pass if proper treatment is given. There are different treatments in this modern era that can be very helpful.

Medication: There are anti-depressants available that a doctor can prescribe. They can help the patient to get proper sleep and improve their appetite.

Psychotherapy: With anti-depressants, psychotherapy is also very important. Psychiatrists use different therapies and try to end all negative thoughts in them. It is more important than medication. You can not only rely on drugs for the treatment of depression.

Psychiatric hospitals: If a person is going through extreme state of depression and drugs or consultation is not helping, they should be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. They are kept under observation every time of the day to bring them back to their normal lives. The treatment may take months or even years, depending on the case.

The results of any treatment for depression are slow but, at the end of day, they really are helpful. A person suffering from depression must never be left alone. It is the duty of the family, friends and peers to never let him feel left out. Leaving him out is just like asking him to go and commit suicide.

It’s no doubt that depression can be defined in many ways. One basic definition is a state of unhappiness, uneasiness and a generally miserable state of mind.

Every person has a different frame of mind.  Each one has his own goals and view of the world. When these goals seem unachievable or the world is different from what was expected, it can become difficult for them to adapt. This can lead them to depression.

Researchers have proven that that it’s not only adults who suffer from depression. Nowadays, even children have been found to have this problem. People still consider it a myth and don’t take it seriously. In their opinion, children do not have to face the harsh side of world that adults have to face. However, things are quite different in reality.  Every individual has a maximum capacity of change they can handle. After that, things can start affecting them in a negative manner and thus send them into depression.

The most common causes of depression in adults are fatigue, restlessness, job failures, money problems, separation from a spouse, social isolation and major or fatal illnesses. In children, causes of depression might be divorce or separation between parents, abusive language used by parents, being neglected by elders or a death in the family. Also, sometimes children are so attached to pets that they cannot handle separation from them. If parents do not look after them properly, they can slip into depression.

There is no laboratory test for depression, nor can any numbers define the stage of depression. It is the change of behavior and that needs to be recognized. Psychiatrists must be consulted for diagnosis and treatment but, in the end, people around the patient need to be supportive to help him pass from this state of mind and enjoy life again.

People who suffer from depression are sometimes ignored. This is often because family or friends don’t see it as a serious disease. However, it is a fact that if depression is not handled in a correct manner, it can be even more dangerous than cancer! The ignorance by family and friends make things worse and lead people to take serious steps such as suicide.

There are many medicines available from websites, doctors, psychiatrists and other places. But, as mentioned before, the best role can be played by the people around someone suffering from depression.

What is needed are two things:

• Company
• Talk therapy

It is best never to leave a person who is suffering from depression alone. He must always have some good company around who can encourage and reframe all the negativity around him. This company must include good listeners. The thing that a suffering from depression needs most is a quality ear who can listen to what’s going on in their mind. It’s important to listen, advise them properly, buck them up and bring them back to life.