Do You Have an Anxiety Disorder or Suffer From Depression?

By:Jim Klein

Do you know what it feels like to be anxious? The nervousness, heart pounding and sweating before making a business call. The churning in your stomach before you ask the pretty girl out on a date. The tension you feel when you speak in front of a group.

Anxiety for some of us is a good thing. It gets us ready to take action. It makes you study harder for an exam and keeps you alert when your making a presentation. Basically it helps us be in a peak state of performance - ready to go.

That describes most of us.

What about the 19.1 million people (13.3%) in the U.S. who have an anxiety disorder? Instead of being a helpful emotion, anxiety can disrupt normal every day actions and make a person afraid to leave their home.

An anxiety disorder is not just being nervous, it's an illness brought on biologically or by past life experiences. Anxiety disorders make people feel anxious most of the time for no apparent reason. These disorders can be debilitating and prevent the sufferer from performing seemingly common place and easy tasks.

The common treatment for anxiety disorders is generally drugs, therapy or a combination of both. However, drug therapy only works on 30 to 45% of the affected population and then there are the side effects and the seemingly dependence on the drugs.

And what about the rest of the population? The ones the drugs won't help? What are they to do, continue to suffer?

Everyone has their ups & downs, however, for those with Depression the downs can outweigh the ups. This can cause problems with everyday activities such as eating, sleeping, working, and getting along with friends. Depression not only affects your emotions, but can also change the way you think, how you behave, and how you function physically. Symptoms of Depression include, but are not limited to;

* constant feelings of sadness, irritability, or tension
* decreased interest or pleasure in usual activities or hobbies
* loss of energy, feeling tired despite lack of activity
* a change in appetite, with significant weight loss or weight gain
* a change in sleeping patterns, such as difficulty sleeping, early morning awakening, or sleeping too much
* restlessness or feeling slowed down
* decreased ability to make decisions or concentrate
* feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or guilt
* thoughts of suicide or death

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, we recommend you consult your doctor to determine if you are suffering from depression.

Another mood disorder is Dysthymia. People who suffer from it have been mildly depressed for two years or more. The symptoms are similar to major depression except they are less severe.

People with Seasonal Affective Disorder have the same symptoms as any form of depression. However, it's the recurrence of these symptoms during certain seasons that separates it from other forms of depression.

Postpartum Depression is a type of depression that can occur in woman who have recently given birth. It typically occurs in the first couple of months after giving birth, however, it can occur up to the first year. Woman with Postpartum Depression typically have difficulties bonding with their new born child.

Bipolar Disorder is a different type of depression. Some days the person who suffers from it may have a difficult time even getting out of bed. Then the next day they may feel really good (mania) and then become irritated and angry.

The person with Bipolar Disorder will have mood swings, sometimes going back and forth between depression and mania quickly in the same day or in a short period of time.

The type of depression is important in how it is treated, so make sure if you are suffering from any of the symptoms we have described, get to your doctor, or if the immediate situation seems serious, go directly to your hospital emergency room.

We believe there are alternatives to conventional treatment for anxiety disorders and depression. Help not just from drugs, but alternative methods that are proving to be very effective in the long term.

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Article keywords: anxiety, anxiety disorder, panic attacks, depression, manic depression

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