Anxiety and depression can range from “I’m feeling down” and “I’m anxious about a new day at school” to “I can’t get out of bed” and “I’m scared to leave the house”Parenting challenges can range from daily obstacles to “this is too much to handle”. If you’re feeling burnt out, there’s hope.
There is a range of symptoms for both anxiety and depression and it will depend on each individual, but, there IS hope to feel better. Talk therapy can help you begin to create a healthy life outlook even when you feel overwhelmed by anxiety or depression.
Depression is said to be caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain, but the onset of symptoms usually derives from an event that triggers your stability. The death of a loved one, abuse, medications, serious illness, major events, and genetics also play a role in who becomes depressed, for how long, and how severe the depression can become.
Symptoms of depression:
- Persistent sad, anxious, or “down feeling’” mood
- Decreased energy, fatigue
- Lack of motivation, loss of interest in things you loved
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Thoughts of death or self-harm, feeling you don’t have a place in the world
- Restlessness, irritability, confusion
- Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, numbness
- Insomnia or sleeping too much
Symptoms of Postpartum:
- Seasonal affective disorder also known as winter blues
- Postpartum depression
- Situational depression
- PMDD
- Persistent depressive disorder
- Major depression
More than 264 million people suffer from depression worldwide and that number has drastically increased during COVID. It is the number one leading cause of disability in the world. Adolescents have the highest rate of depressive episodes, while depression in college students has also decreased in the past few years.
Depression can occur with anxiety. However, they are not the same. Each disorder has its own set of symptoms, causes, and treatments. Why group them together when discussing mental health? Because commonly, people with depression also experience symptoms of anxiety and vice versa. If you’re feeling anxious and can’t get out of bed, or you’re feeling excessive worry and tension without reasons and you’re also depressed, chances are you’re suffering from both disorders.
Symptoms of Anxiety:
- Excessive worry that is disproportionate to typical everyday situations
- Feeling agitated due to a sense of danger that is not a true threat
- Restlessness and the uncomfortable urge to move
- Excessive fatigue after increased hyperactivity
- Increased irritability
- Tense muscles
- Irrational fears like leaving the house or fear of animals
Types of Anxiety I Treat:
- Generalized anxiety disorders
- Social anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
Anxiety, by itself, is a normal and healthy emotion. It only becomes disordered when you experience feelings that are disproportionate to your usual levels of worry . Anxiety is its own category for mental health issues when worry becomes nervousness, fear, and apprehension .
If you’re feeling depressed and/ or anxious, talk therapy can help. With both disorders being the top leading cause of clients reaching out to therapists, I have the experience and education to treat you for both issues.
Therapy will help you uncover the underlying causes of your worries and fears, learn how to relax, look at situations in new and less frightening ways, and help you develop better coping and problem solving skills. Depression and anxiety are highly treatable. Improvements can be found in medication, talk therapy, or a combination of both. The first step in getting better is finding someone you can talk to. You don’t have to continue to feel this way, you can feel better and I am here to help.
