| Mental Health Matters: | Dealing with Depression and Anxiety |
What
is Depression/Anxiety?
Depression and anxiety are feelings many people suffer from. You aren't alone.Most people suffer from mild depression or anxiety. For some people their depression or anxiety is more serious. Most people get better in time. You can do some thing about the way you feel.
Mild depression might make you feel irritable, empty inside or guilty. You may be unable to concentrate or make decisions and may dislike yourself or others and see the worst in everything.
Mild anxiety can give you tense muscles, a dry mouth and make you shake.
Panic attacks are very common. They can give people a pounding heart, sweating or chest pains. People find it hard to breathe or breathe too fast and feel dizzy. Sometimes the person's legs go weak and they think they may faint or be sick. Although it feels bad at the time, the attack will pass and won't do any lasting or serious damage to your health.
Serious or long term anxiety can lead to panic that is more difficult to control.It can cause health problems eg high blood pressure or ulcers and lead to depression or phobias. For more information about anxiety click here.
Serious depression might mean you neglect yourself and cut yourself off from other people.
What you can do about depression/anxiety
Talk to others
- Talk to a friend or family member.
- You could talk to your GP amd ask him/her to refer you to a counsellor or therapist.
- Think about going to a self help group or drop-in centre.
Consider other treatments
- Acupuncture, homeopathy, herbalism and massage help some people reduce anxiety and depression. They are not usually available on the N.H.S and have to be paid for.
- Relaxation techniques to adjust breathing, relax muscles and replace distressing thoughts with peaceful ones can be learnt by joining a class or borrowing books or tapes from the library.
- Anti-depressants or tranquillisers from your doctor treat the symptoms not the causes but may give you enough of a boost for you to help yourself.
- Drugs can have side effects eg trembling, a dry mouth, craving for food, sluggishness.
- Tranquillisers can be addictive and both tranquillisers and anti-depressants can have withdrawal effects.
- Seeing a psychiatrist either as an outpatient or an inpatient can help severely depressed people.
