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Coping with Anxiety and Depression

What is Depression?

Depression is a serious medical illness characterized as a mood disorder, which affects a person’s emotional and physical health. The major symptom of depression is a despairing mood, lasting more than two weeks, that significantly affects functioning.

Some Types of Depression

  • Major Depressive Disorder
  • Dysthymia: This is a less severe form of chronic depression. It is feeling mildly depressed most of the time for at least 2 years. Dysthymia can still majorly affect a person’s functioning.
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder: SAD is a type of depression affected by the time of year and the weather. Symptoms of SAD often show up in the fall/winter.
  • Postpartum Depression: This type of depression can occur after a women has a new baby. It can make her more vulnerable to major depressive disorder later in life.
  • Others

Signs/Symptoms of Depression

  • Feeling of loss of control over moods
  • Crying often or being unable to cry even when you want to
  • Recurring thoughts of death or suicide or suicide attempts
  • Self-injurious behaviors (cutting, burning, etc.)
  • Changes in appetite and/or weight
  • An irritable bowel or upset stomach
  • Fatigue, trouble sleeping, or sleeping too much
  • Trouble with concentrating/memory and an inability to make decisions
  • Irritability
  • Loss of interest in and pleasure from the activities you used to enjoy
  • Loss of sexual interest/pleasure
  • Feeling isolated from family or friends
  • Excessive guilt
  • Lack of motivation
  • Persistent headache
  • Loss of touch with reality

What is Chronic Anxiety?

A medical illness that affects your thoughts, mood, and physical health. It includes a group of psychiatric disorders which are generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and panic disorder.

The main characteristics of chronic anxiety are physical ailments on top of persistent worry about everyday issues.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Constant, debilitating worry that does not match up with reality. It lasts at least six months. Symptoms may include:

  • Being “on edge”, or restless
  • Insomnia or trouble sleeping
  • Mind going blank
  • Always expecting the worse
  • Exaggerating worry
  • Physical symptoms such as: nausea, fatigue, muscle tension, feeling shaky, dizziness, shortness of breath or a headache

Social Anxiety Disorder

Overwhelming fear of being judged by others, which results in the avoidance of social situations. Symptoms may include:

  • Fear of being unable to express one’s self
  • Fear of being embarrassed in public
  • Unable to overcome these fears, affecting the everyday routine
  • Physical symptoms such as: blushing, trembling, rapid heartbeat, sweating, shaking and dry mouth

Panic Disorder

Characterized by intense panic that occurs all of a sudden without warning and overwhelms the person with debilitating terror, peaking within ten minutes. Symptoms may include:

  • Racing heart or heart palpitations
  • Sweating
  • Nausea/ abdominal discomfort
  • Fear of losing control or dying
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Choking
  • Hot flashes
  • Agoraphobia: avoiding places where you think you may have a panic attack and will not be able to get help or escape the situation

The Three Key Truths about Anxiety and Depression

      The Peace of Mind Association states three key truths about chronic anxiety and depression:
      Depression and chronic anxiety are real
      Depression and chronic anxiety are common
      Depression and chronic anxiety are treatable

Key Truth #1 Anxiety and Depression are Real

  • They are medical illnesses just like heart disease or cancer that are caused by a variety of factors.
  • They are not just the “blues” or everyday worries.
  • They do not mean failure or flaws.
  • You cannot just “snap out of it” but you do not need to live with these illnesses because treatment is available.
  • They cause real suffering if not treated.

     Real Personal Experience

          Here are a few quotes from people that suffered with depression and/or anxiety:

  •  “Nothing mattered anymore..it was a struggle just to get out of bed.”
  • “Total exhaustion took over, but I could never sleep for more than a few hours. All my energy went into worrying… I couldn’t concentrate on anything else.”
  • “Out of nowhere, my heart would start racing-I’d start sweating and my stomach would cinch up.”

     Possible Causes of Anxiety and Depression

        Genetics: These illnesses often run in families. Genetics can also be a factor in suicide.
        Biology: There may be a chemical imbalance within the brain with neurotransmitters.
        Emotional/psychological vulnerability: Certain personality characteristics such as low self-esteem.
        Life Circumstances/Events: A trauma or stressor including the death of a loved one, abuse, moving, job loss, or divorce.
        Lack of closeness to family/friends
        Illness: Depression can be a reaction to being diagnosed with an illness, or the illness can be the cause of depression

        (example: a stroke).

Key Truth #2 Anxiety and Depression are Common

  • Almost 3 million Canadians have serious depression today.
  • In a lifetime: 17% of people will experience depression, 5% will experience generalized anxiety disorder, 3-13% will experience social anxiety disorder, and 1-2% will experience panic disorder (Peace of Mind, 2006).
  • It is thought that twice as many women over men will have depression/chronic anxiety in a lifetime, but this may be because women tend seek treatment more often and/or because they generally have more recognizable symptoms.
  • You may feel alone but you are not alone. The symptoms of depression especially can make you feel like you are alone in your experience, but from these statistics you can see this is a myth. 

Key Truth #3 Anxiety and Depression are Treatable

Treatment is individual and the goal is to be symptom-free. Some successful treatments include:

  • Talk therapy – to help you understand your ways of thinking that may be negative or harmful, to change your thinking, to understand your relationships and how they impact your emotions, and to learn coping mechanisms.
  • Medications- many help change the levels of brains chemicals interfering with mood and thoughts.
  • Diet, exercise, sleep, and support are also considered important in many treatment plans.

Getting Help: Resources and Support Groups at UPEI and in the Community

 

  • The UPEI Student Health Center –Talk with a nurse and/or physician and discuss treatment options. You just need to book an appointment.  There is a psychiatrist on campus as well; a referral is required and can be obtained from a physician or a UPEI Student Services Counselor.
  • Student Services- Any student can talk with a counselor at Student Services without a referral. You just need to book an appointment by telephone, email, or coming into the center. Please see Counselling Services for more information.
  • Canadian Mental Health Association PEI Division: Provides mental health promotion activities across PEI. They have self-help groups such as a depression/bipolar/anxiety self-help group and emotions anonymous. For times and locations of these groups, please see their website.
  • Richmond Center: Provides assessment and ongoing counseling by professionals. Professional and self-referrals are both acceptable.
     
  • The Island HelpLine: 1-800-218-2885 Anyone can call 24 hours a day to receive information, crisis intervention, or referrals for mental health issues from a caring professional. All calls are confidential.

Getting More Information

Are you looking for more information on depression or anxiety? The following links are to helpful websites that provides a variety of information on these issues.

Please visit  My Peace of Mind for more information on depression or anxiety or to take a quiz that tells you if you might have one of these illnesses.

Other helpful websites:

The Canadian Mental Health Association

Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada

Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT)

References

  • Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada (2007) Anxiety Disorders. Retrieved November 6th, 2010 from http://anxietycanada.ca/english/index.php
  • Canadian Mental Health Association (2004). Depression and Bipolar Disorder. Canada: Author.
  • Canadian Mental Health Association (1993). Understanding Anxiety Disorders. Canada: Author.
  • Canadian Mental Health Association Prince Edward Island Division & Kiwanis Club of Charlottetown (2010). A directory of self-help groups and community resources in Prince Edward Island. (18th ed.) Charlottetown, PEI: Author.
  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (1999). Depression fact sheet. Retrieved October 22nd, 2010 from http://www.camh.net
  • Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (2006). What is anxiety. Retrieved October 22nd , 2010 from http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_depression_anxietymain
  • Peace of Mind (2006). A new state of awareness in depression and anxiety. Retrieved October 15th, 2010 from http://www.mypeaceofmind.ca/pom_en.htm
  • University of Prince Edward Island Student Services (n.d.) Student Support. Retrieved October 29th, 2010 from http://www.upei.ca/studentservice/studentsupport