Anxiety and Depression
Commonly known clinically as Major Depressive Disorder
Depression
Definition of Depression: Depression is by far the most common psychiatric symptoms in this country, and approximately 1 out of 3 people have some kind of significant depression or anxiety during their lifetime. Depression was once described as an inability to perceive the future. While society has become more aware and accepting of these problems, there is still much misinformation and stigma attached with psychiatric treatment of these problems. The most common co-morbid psychiatric condition seen along with depression, are various type of anxiety disorders as well as insomnia or sleep disorders. Depression can be treated with therapy and/or antidepressants such as a SSRI (Zoloft | Prozac | Lexapro), SNRI (Cymbalta | Effexor), or Tricyclic Antidepressants.
Isn’t it “normal” to get depressed sometimes?
YES – feelings of sadness, worry, guilt, and doubt are all normal emotions. It is however important to distinguish between depression and sadness. It is sometimes “normal” to experience feelings of sadness, but in major depressive disorder or persistent depressive disorder, the feeling of sadness tends to continue and linger for a long period of time, before it potentially begins to inhibit daily activities, work, and/or social functioning. If you are experiencing these feelings of persistent sadness for more than 2 weeks and they are starting to interfere with your life, you may want to consult with a psychiatrist who can help you understand your symptoms and decide if you need treatment.
I don’t want to take any medications, so why bother seeing a psychiatrist?
Depression can often be successfully treated without medication. In a perfect world, every one could see a psychiatrist. A trained physician that they could open up to, bounce ideas off of, or utilize as a performance coach to optimize one’s mental health and emotional well being. Self-help resources or a non-medical psychotherapist are often sufficient to treat the problem. However, a consultation with a psychiatrist can be helpful if you have other medical problems or medications, or if your depression or anxiety are not fully resolved with your current treatment.
Sometimes referred to as Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Not to be confused with Panic Disorder or Social Anxiety Disorder.
Anxiety
The feeling of anxiety is directly related to the physical response to danger in the environment. When we perceive danger, the body releases chemicals and prepares for “fight or flight”, and with anxiety, this system is on more than it should be. Anxiety causes significant disruption focus, concentration, and sleep among other areas of life.
There are various types of anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder (feeling anxious and worried all the time), panic attacks (a short but intense feeling of extreme anxiety accompanied by physical symptoms like sweating, dizziness, or nausea), social phobia / social anxiety disorder (being anxious and avoiding social situations), or specific phobia (excessive fear of a specific thing like spiders or flying in airplanes). Psychiatrists treat these problems with different types of behavioral therapies and/or medications . The Generalized Anxiety Disorder treatment approach varies greatly, and medications include SSRI for anxiety, as well as benzodiazepines. The benzodiazepine list includes Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, and Restoril.
Doesn’t everyone get stressed out sometimes?
YES – there are many situations in which stress causes worry, irritability, and anxiety. However, persistent exposure to stress can be harmful to both your mind and body, which could impact one’s overall mental health.
What Causes Stress ? Stress is caused by a combination of psychosocial triggers that create a physiological change in our chemistry over time. The effects of stress can be substantial. Various stress symptoms may present, such as irritability, insomnia, restlessness, and appetite changes. The approach to stress management is broad, and lots of options are available, including exercise, self-help courses, psychotherapy (talk therapy), and medications. If you have tried other therapies and are still feeling frequently stressed out, you might want to consider psychiatric consultation to explore further treatment options.