Fully Surrender To Your Situation
For anxiety and depression sufferers, Eckhart Tolle recommends that you surrender to your situation and current state in life. This is why awareness is the first step, so that we can have better clarity of what our situation is. As you practice becoming aware of the pain-body, it increases your ability to be aware of other areas in your life.
Eckhart Tolle goes on to say that the majority of problems we face are a result of how the mind interprets circumstances and NOT because of the circumstance itself. People create a story in their mind about the situation without realizing it.
Tolle jests that we call people crazy who talk out loud to themselves, but we do it to ourselves in our own head every day. There is a voice in our mind that doesnt stop talking and is almost always negative, guilt-tripping, doubtful, and so on.
Use Caution In Selecting The Initial Antidepressant Dose For Anxious Patients
The usual starting doses for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors were established primarily through studies of patients with major depression and may be too high for patients with significant levels of anxiety. Anxious patients may have increased anxiety, agitation or even panic attacks with standard starting doses. Starting at half the usual dose for four to six days before increasing to the typical starting dose can greatly improve tolerability and adherence.19
Bereavement Adjustment Disorders And Minor Depression
Bereavement and adjustment disorders are mood states that onset shortly after a negative life event. Minor depression is diagnosed when clinically important depressive symptoms emerge in the absence of a stressful life event, but the diagnostic and statistical manual criteria for a major depressive episode are not met. All these conditions should initially be treated with psychotherapy with medication reserved for specific symptoms or for patients who develop severe symptoms .10,11
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Allow Yourself To Feel What Youre Feeling
Depression and anxiety are medical conditions, not the result of failure or weakness, and theyre absolutely not your fault.
Without a doubt, the unwanted emotions they cause can lead to plenty of distress. But knowing depression and anxiety result from underlying causes and triggers, not anything you did or didnt do, can promote self-compassion instead of criticism or self-punishment.
Different Types Of Depression
There are different types of depression, and there are some conditions where depression is a symptom. These conditions include:
- Bipolar disorder people with bipolar disorder, which is also known as “manic depression”, experience times of depression, where the symptoms are similar to clinical depression. They also go through phases when they have excessively high moods . Bouts of mania can include harmful behaviour like unsafe sex, spending sprees and gambling.
- Seasonal affective disorder is also called “winter depression”. It’s depression that is related to weather, usually winter, so it happens seasonally.
- Postnatal depression happens to some women after they’ve had a baby. It’s treated similarly to other types of depression, with antidepressant medication and talking therapy.
Learn more about how depression is diagnosed here.
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Do Not Use Bupropion As A Firstline Treatment For Patients Who Have Significant Anxiety
Bupropion has features that both patients and doctors like specifically, low rates of weight gain and sexual dysfunction. However, unlike the SSRIs and SNRIs, bupropion is not approved for the treatment of any anxiety disorder. It is often activating, which causes great discomfort for anxious patients.24 Bupropion may be a reasonable choice for depressed patients without prominent anxiety, but for highly anxious patients it should usually be reserved as an augmentation agent after partial improvement with an SSRI or SNRI.
Anxiety And Depression: What Are The Possible Links
Although clearly not identical emotional states, mental health research suggests that depression and anxiety often coexist because they can be caused by the same or similar factors. According to an article published May 2020 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, those overlapping causes can include:
- Genetic Factors Genetic factors contribute to 40 percent of the predisposition to depressive and anxious symptoms, with 60 percent being attributed to environmental, noninherited factors. “Especially with anxiety, more so than depression, there often is some family history, and so therefore we think that there may be some genetic predisposition to this,” Connolly explains.
- Environmental Factors Also referred to as social factors, these include experiences like trauma or neglect in early childhood, and current stressors such as relationship difficulties, unemployment, social isolation, and physical illness. People who have post-traumatic stress disorder , an anxiety disorder, are particularly likely to also develop depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health .
- Pain Chronic pain, and particularly disabling pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome , low back pain, headaches, and nerve pain, are closely linked to psychological distress, including both anxiety and depression, notes Harvard Health. In fact, they say, research suggests that pain shares some biological mechanisms with anxiety and depression.
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How To Reduce Stress And Anxiety In 10 Steps
We all experience stress and anxiety at one time or another. For some, it may be more severe than others, but one thing is for sure: we can all agree that a stress-free life is a happy one. If you are fed up with your stress and anxiety, you may be wondering how to reduce stress. The good news is there are plenty of stress reducers that you can incorporate into your life to help you.
Step One: Think Ahead
Stressful triggers are usually repetitive. If you’re dealing with stress and anxiety, you may find that the same things each month cause you unneeded stress. Some examples include past due bills, laundry piling up, or deadlines at work.
Once you identify the problems in your life that consistently stress you out, you can begin working to eliminate them by planning ahead.
If money problems seem to be constantly plaguing you, it may be time to consider coming up with a budget. A budget can help you to meet your financial goals by setting aside money for those important bills so that you don’t have to worry when it comes time to pay them.
If you have issues setting aside time to do housework or laundry, you could set aside one day of each week to take care of these duties. For example, you could do all the laundry on Sundays and clean the house on Mondays.
Be sure not to pile too much work onto one day, or you could risk becoming even more stressed from the amount of work you have to do that day.
Step Two: Tweak your Morning Routine
Step Three: Get More Sleep
A Regular Practice Can Help Your Brain Better Manage Stress And Anxiety That Can Trigger Depression
Depression continues to be a major health issue for older adults. It affects about 20% of adults ages 65 and older, and regular depression can lead to higher risks for heart disease and death from illnesses. It also affects people’s daily lives by making them more socially isolated and affecting cognitive function, especially memory.
In fact, a study of 1,111 people , published online May 9, 2018, by Neurology, found that those who had greater symptoms of depression also had worse episodic memory the ability to recall specific experiences and events.
There are many ways to treat depression. Antidepressants and psychotherapy are the usual first-line treatments, but ongoing research has suggested that a regular meditation practice can help by changing how the brain responds to stress and anxiety.
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Fitness Tips: Stay Healthy Manage Anxiety Andstress
For the biggest benefits of exercise, try to include at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, 1¼ hours of a vigorous-intensity activity , or a combination of the two.
- 5 X 30: Jog, walk, bike, or dance three to five times a week for 30 minutes.
- Set small daily goals and aim for daily consistency rather than perfect workouts. It’s better to walk every day for 15-20 minutes than to wait until the weekend for a three-hour fitness marathon. Lots of scientific data suggests that frequency is most important.
- Find forms of exercise that are fun or enjoyable. Extroverted people often like classes and group activities. People who are more introverted often prefer solo pursuits.
- Distract yourself with an iPod or other portable media player to download audiobooks, podcasts, or music. Many people find its more fun to exercise while listening to something they enjoy.
- Recruit an exercise buddy. It’s often easier to stick to your exercise routine when you have to stay committed to a friend, partner, or colleague.
- Be patient when you start a new exercise program. Most sedentary people require about four to eight weeks to feel coordinated and sufficiently in shape so that exercise feels easier.
The Relationship Between Anxiety And Depression
Helpful Links
While anxiety is generally considered a high-energy state and depression a low-energy state, anxiety and depression are more closely related than you might think. A person with depression often experiences a lot of anxiety, possibly even to the extent of having panic attacks.1
Anxiety disorders involve more than common nervousness and worry. They can cause terrifying fear about things other people wouldnt think twice about. Many people with anxiety disorders fully comprehend that their thoughts are irrational. But they still cant stop them. Feelings of losing inner control haunt them. This angst is one of the entry ways for depression.2
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Managing Anxiety And Depression
A therapist can offer more guidance on treatment options for anxiety and depression, but you can also take steps to cope with symptoms on your own.
The strategies below may not always help, but trying different approaches at different times can help you learn more about what works for you. That insight can guide you toward a personalized toolbox of coping strategies, so you always have options to consider when feeling distressed or overwhelmed.
Your therapist can also offer suggestions for new strategies to try, plus offer tips on putting them into practice.
When To Get Professional Help For Depression
If youve taken self-help steps and made positive lifestyle changes and still find your depression getting worse, seek professional help. Needing additional help doesnt mean youre weak. Sometimes the negative thinking in depression can make you feel like youre a lost cause, but depression can be treated and you can feel better!
Dont forget about these self-help tips, though. Even if youre receiving professional help, these tips can be part of your treatment plan, speeding your recovery and preventing depression from returning.
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Can Anxiety And Depression Be Treated Together
Yes. No one has to suffer from anxiety disorder or depression, and certainly not both. People with anxiety disorder should speak with a psychiatrist, therapist, or other healthcare professional about their symptoms and start treatment as soon as possible. If you suspect you have both anxiety and depression, Connolly recommends getting a thorough evaluation from a psychiatrist as a first step. âItâs really crucial for people with both to have a good assessment to rule out bipolar disorder,â she says.
Important: If you or someone you know needs help coping with anxiety or depression, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK . The Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they text to 741741.
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Ways To Reduce Stress And Ease Depression
Shannon,
Director of Therapy
10 Minute Read
Its very common for people experiencing depression to feel more easily stressed, burnt out, and overwhelmed than typical. Stress can exacerbate symptoms of depression, while depression can also fuel stress, creating a self-sustaining negative cycle that can be hard to break.
Finding effective ways to deal with stress and depression in your daily life can be an important part of self-care. Addressing the root causes of your stress, learning to build resilience, and reducing the impact that stress can have on you can help you feel more empowered and less depressed.
The best way to relieve stress and depression when it gets out of hand is to talk to a mental health professional. At Brightside Health, licensed therapists and psychiatric providers are available to support you.
Want to speak 1:1 with an expert about your anxiety & depression?
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Tips To Relieve Stress And Anxiety
Being always anxious can be unhealthy, while until now, the stigma about mental health is still present. Yet, did you know that stress and anxiety are one of the mental disorders having the highest prevalence in the US?
As sighted by NIMH, around 19.1% of U.S. adults are suffering from an anxiety disorder, and most of them are females, which is 23.4% more than their opposite gender. Meanwhile, around 31.1% of US adults were reported to experience some symptoms of anxiety in their lives. As for the latest edition of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-V, anxiety disorders come with different types, but they share the same hallmark, which is the excessive fear and anxiety and related behavioral disturbances.
Anxiety and fear are different concepts. For instance, DSM-V differentiates fear as emotional response to a real or perceived imminent threat from anxiety, as the anticipation of future threat. Such disturbances can impact different areas of your functioning such as your school, work, and even your overall personal and social life. Thus, you may need some anxiety relief.
Ways To Get Rid Of Depression
There are many forms of anxiety and depression, and every person experiences these feelings at some point in their life. When these feelings become persistent, draining and crippling, however, it can feel like you are spiraling out of control in a very dark tunnel and all the exits are blocked. Overcoming this is possible. These mental health conditions are manageable with the proper education and resources. Though there is no cure-all solution or magic juice to make your symptoms disappear, taking the appropriate steps towards recovery can place you on your journey to living the healthier and happier life that you deserve.
These twenty useful tips can help you work, though, manage, and relieve your symptoms of anxiety and depression. If you are starting your journey towards recovery, then these steps will provide a valuable base of information for you launch off of. Just being a bit more positive can have an impact on your mind. If you have been struggling to manage your anxiety or depression for far too long, then do not feel discouraged and never resist the urge to seek help if life becomes too overwhelming.
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Steer Clear Of Alcohol
Drinking alcohol may take the edge off at first, since its a natural sedative. However, suggests theres a link between anxiety and alcohol consumption, with anxiety disorders and alcohol use disorder occurring hand-in-hand.A 2017 review that looked at 63 different studies showed that decreasing alcohol intake can improve both anxiety and depression.
Heavy drinking can interfere with the balance of neurotransmitters, which can be responsible for positive mental health. This interference creates an imbalance that may lead to certain symptoms of anxiety.
Anxiety may temporarily increase in early sobriety but can improve in the long run. Alcohol has also been shown to disrupt your bodys natural ability to sleep by interfering with sleep homeostasis. And as well later point out, a good nights sleep is incredibly helpful when combating anxiety.
Tips For Men Coping With Anxiety And Depression
There are lots of things you can do to look after your health and wellbeing, so find an approach that best suits you. For example, try to stay active and make plans for the day they dont have to be grand plans, just small things like going for a run or talking to a mate.
Try to include activities or hobbies that you specifically enjoy. At first, you may not enjoy them as much as you did before, but if you keep active and persist, the enjoyment should eventually return.
Its important to look after your body by staying physically active, eating healthily and getting plenty of sleep. Try not to drink alcohol or take other drugs to block out how youre feeling and what is happening. This is not a positive long-term solution and can make the anxiety or depression worse.
The important thing is to find the right options and the right health professionals that suit you.
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Other Causes Of Depression
There are a number of things that can lead to developing depression.
- Stressful events big changes in your life, like bereavement, the end of a relationship or the loss of a job, can be difficult to deal with. When these things happen, it’s important to keep seeing friends and family instead of trying to deal with problems alone this increases your risk of developing depression.
- Giving birth pregnancy and birth can make some people vulnerable to depression. Postnatal depression can happen as the result of physical changes, hormonal changes, and the responsibility of taking care of a new baby.
- Loneliness your risk of depression gets higher if you aren’t in contact or spending time with family and friends.
- Personality some personality traits can put you at a higher risk of developing depression. These include low-self esteem or a habit of criticising yourself too much. These personality traits can come from your genes, which you get from your parents, or they can be as a result of experiences in your early life.
- Family history it’s more likely for someone to develop depression if a family member, like a sibling or parent, has experienced it before.
