Can Depression Be Triggered By Stress

Recognize The Importance Of Self

Self-care is essential for good physical and mental health. Self-care activities are any actions that help people look after their wellbeing.

Self-care means taking time to relax, recharge, and connect with the self and others. It also means saying no to others when overwhelmed and taking space to calm and soothe oneself.

Basic self-care activities include eating a healthful diet, engaging in creative activities, and taking a soothing bath. But any action that enhances mental, emotional, and physical health can be considered a self-care activity.

Understanding Our Mental Health

Mental health impacts everyones quality of life and includes our passions, relationships, and experiences. Someone can be born with a genetic predisposition for a mental illness. Our brains can also sustain psychological traumas.

We invest a great deal of time formally and informally apprising others on how to address our nutrition & physical health. For example, if someone does not maintain their nutrition and physical health, they may develop an illness and just about anyone would know to contact medical services. If someone does not maintain their mental health, they may develop an illness. But unlike our physical health, mental health isnt commonly talked about in our communities because of stigma.

We need to embrace open communication of mental health challenges and be able to provide direction to help others before crisis arises.

There is no shame in asking for help. There are tools and treatments to respond, treat and manage mental health issues.

Can Depression Triggers Be Prevented

Depression triggers cannot always be prevented, but there are ways to lower the risk.

Steps you can take include:

• Practice healthy eating, sleeping, and exercise habits.
• Write down your symptoms and what was happening when they occurred, looking for patterns or indications of what may have triggered you.
• Follow your treatment plan as indicated. Don’t make changes or stop without discussing it with your healthcare provider.

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Why Are Anxiety And Depression Often Co

Its a cycle, says Sally R. Connolly, LCSW and therapist. When you get anxious, you tend to have this pervasive thinking about some worry or some problem. You feel bad about it. Then you feel like youve failed. You move to depression.

These two disorders anxiety and depression have a complicated relationship:

• The chance of acquiring depression is much higher when an anxiety disorder already exists. Nearly half of those with major depression also suffer from severe and persistent anxiety.
• People who are depressed often feel anxious and worried. One can easily trigger the other, with anxiety often preceding depression.
• People with post-traumatic stress disorder are especially prone to developing depression.
• A biological predisposition for both of these conditions if often at the root of an individuals battle. This seems to be true with anxiety disorders even more than with depression. Connolly explains, Some people are just worriers and pass it down.

People with an anxiety disorder should speak with a psychiatrist, therapist or other healthcare professional about their symptoms. Treatment for an anxiety disorder should not be delayed. If not caught in time, depression may find the door wide open for moving in and setting up house in those individuals.2

What Is Depression Caused By

Depression isnt always caused by a depressing situation. Many people become depressed, even when everything in their life is going well. The structural, physiological and biochemical changes that occur in the brain that cause depression can have one or more causes including:

• Dysfunction in the brains mood regulation mechanism
• Genetic vulnerability
• Stress or negative life events
• Medication side effects
• Various triggers

Depression is often triggered by a stressful or negative life event. Similarly, a recurrence of a previous depressive episode can be brought on by situational causes.

Feelings of depression or anxiety can lead to suicidal thinking. If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts or tendencies, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at .

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Covid Depression And Anxiety

If you are experiencing depression and anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you are certainly not alone. Many are grieving loved ones who have died. Some coronavirus survivors have been left with debilitating health problems, and many others have lost jobs and businesses.

Even those who have not experienced severe loss have endured months of disrupted schedules, canceled milestone celebrations and daily logistical challenges. Little wonder so many are feeling lonely, frustrated and vulnerable, physically, emotionally and financially.

As the pandemic continues and hope for its end is in sight, there are ways to identify mental health issues and get the help you or a loved one needs. Here is some useful insight from neuropsychologist Tracy Vannorsdall, Ph.D., who talks about the impact of the coronavirus and the pandemic on anxiety and depression, what to look for and what kinds of therapy may be available to help you or someone you care about.

Can You Identify Your Depression Triggers

Maybe its a rainy day, a lonely afternoon or a sentimental song that brings on feelings of sadness. Occasionally, feeling blue is part of being human. For people with Parkinsons, though, these feelings can escalate into what researchers refer to as clinical depression.

According to at the University of California Irvine, depression is one of the most common non-motor symptoms affecting as many as half of people living with Parkinsons. Its important for people with Parkinsons and their loved ones to recognize the most common triggers of depression and the actions they can take to live well.

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Depression And Stress: Connection Causes And Effects

Stress: A most commonly used word in our daily routines. But not what we frequently experience is a real stress disorder. Very slight or slight experiences of stress are common nowadays. But when this stress rides from slight to severe, it can cause various issues.When prolonged emotional stress becomes severe, it can cause depression. When a person encounters a stressful event or situation, it could trigger a depression. The feelings of depression make it very difficult to manage and deal with stress.

Acute stress events include situations like ending a long-term relationship, losing a job, death of a loved one, failed in exams, etc might lead to depression. However, it is not necessary that every person who encounters such situations can be depressed. Some might be able to deal with the situation successfully. Biological factors are responsible for triggering depression or not causing any.

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Can Migraines Cause Depression

Is it true that having migraines increases the risk of depression? I have them and find the headaches pretty depressing, although I feel okay between them. Should I be worried about depression?

Andrew Weil, M.D. |January 10, 2014

Some evidence does suggest that having migraine headaches increases the risk of depression, particularly among women. The latest study on this subject comes from Canada, and found that the prevalence of depression is twice as high among migraine patients as it is among people who dont suffer from these headaches. For men who have migraine the prevalence of depression seen in the study was 8.4 percent, compared to depressed mood in only 3.4 percent of men without the problem. For women, the prevalence was 12.4 percent compared to 5.7 percent in women without the headaches.

The researchers at the University of Toronto also found that women under 30 who had migraine symptoms had six times the odds of developing depression as did migraine patients age 65 and older and that the risk of depression was also higher among unmarried individuals and those who had trouble with daily activities because of the headaches.

This study wasnt the first to link migraine with depression. In 2012 researchers at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston reported that the risk of depression is up to 41 percent higher in women with past or present migraine than it is among women who do not have the condition.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

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How To Relieve Anxiety Triggers

Anxiety triggers can be tough to control. Each trigger will have its own potential treatment, and the only way to prevent all anxiety triggers is to re-learn coping strategies and cure your anxiety. Some example treatments include:

In the end, though, the key to reducing anxiety triggers is to stop the anxiety overall.

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What Strategies Are Often Used In Treating This Dual Diagnosis

Evidence-based research suggests that both anxiety and depression be treated at the same time.

Effective strategies often used in treating these co-occurring conditions include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT is often used to treat people with both disorders. Fears, anxieties and tendencies toward depression are managed by seeking out their root causes. Once uncovered, patients learn how to take control of their emotions and life.
• Antidepressant medications Often combined with CBT, these may be prescribed in treating both disorders. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are new antidepressant drugs that produce fewer side effects than their predecessors.
• Exercise This can be very helpful for both disorders. Physical activity causes feel-good chemicals to be released in the body. This aids in relaxation and feeling of well-being.
• Relaxation techniques This typically involves meditation or mindfulness. These techniques can often help to remedy both disorders and improve quality of life.2

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Separate Yourself From The Depression

A condition does not define a person they are not their illness. When depression symptoms begin, some people find it helpful to repeat: I am not depression, I just have depression.

A person should remind themselves of all the other aspects of themselves. They may also be a parent, sibling, friend, spouse, neighbor, and colleague. Each person has their own strengths, abilities, and positive qualities that make them who they are.

The Connection Between Anxiety & Depression And Migraines

A connection between migraine occurrences and the presence of other mental health disorders like anxiety and depression has been established in several studies. Studies have shown that depression impacts as many as 80% of people suffering from migraines while other studies indicate that migraine symptoms were reported in roughly 67% of people who experienced anxiety disorders. It is uncertain if migraines are the cause of the mental health disorder or if the mental health disorders are the cause of migraines. This is largely due to studies that have shown instances where people who are afflicted by migraines eventually suffer from mental health disorders due to reduced quality of life and other studies that have shown mental health disorders that have led to migraine like symptoms due to some other underlying reason that tie the 2 comorbidities together. Understanding migraines and how they can impact the emergence and severity of anxiety and depression, and vice versa, can help individuals find the right treatment to improve quality of life and potentially address and eliminate one or both comorbidities.

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Causes Of Psychosomatic Illness

There are actually different kinds of stress, some of which can be positive. Eustress is what makes life invigorating and interesting. Its a feeling that makes you want to get up in the morning and keeps you motivated.

If youve ever enjoyed the thrill of a roller coaster ride or felt a sense of excitement and fulfillment when completing a project, youve experienced good stress. On the other hand, if youve ever experienced a major loss, gone through a big life change, or endured other stressors, you also know what bad stress feels like.

Just like you can feel the giddiness and uplifting feelings of good stress all over, the negative effects of bad stress can be felt in your mind andyour body. While the exact mechanisms are not completely understood, researchers know that stress and depression can be expressed as physical pain and illness. Its a complex process, but heres an analogy that might help.

Compare your body to a pressure cooker. If its allowed to vent its steam, it works efficiently. If it cant vent steam, the pressure continues to build until the lid blows off. Now, imagine that the cooker is under pressure already and you apply more pressure to keep the lid on. When the container can no longer hold in all the pressure, it will break at its weakest point.

Like the pressure cooker giving way at the weakest point of its structure, stress-related illness is most likely to develop where your body is already weakened.

Weight Loss Or Weight Gain

Your mood may impact your diet. For some, depression causes a loss of appetite that could lead to unnecessary weight loss.

For others with depression, feelings of hopelessness may result in poor eating choices and a loss of interest in exercise. Reaching for foods high in sugars, fats, and starchy carbohydrates is also common. Increased appetite and weight gain are also side effects of some medications for depression.

Obesity also seems to be common in people with depression, according to an older survey by the . The survey, conducted between 2005 and 2010, found that approximately 43 percent of adults with depression are obese.

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Dietary And Exercise Habits

Healthy eating and exercise habits are important for physical and mental health.

Diet

The results of a 2020 systematic review of the research suggest that some foods may reduce the risk of depression. Others may increase the risk, when considered as overall dietary habits.

Dietary habits that may lower the risk of depression include:

• Balanced food choices

Diets that included higher amounts of these foods were associated with an increased risk of depression:

• Added sugar such as soda
• Processed foods
• Foods that contribute to increased inflammation in the body

Exercise

A 2020 narrative review found exercise may be an effective treatment for major depression in some adults. The results varied, though, and more research is needed to understand the level of exercise involved and how well it works over time.

This review showed that three sessions of physical exercise per week for 12â24 weeks typically reduced the severity of depression symptoms a medium to large amount.

Exercise also was found to increase by 22% the chance that people would not fall back into depression symptoms, when compared with treatment as usual.

These results are promising but not conclusive. Exercise routines may need to be ongoing to continue the benefits they provide.

Ways To Fight Anxiety And Depression During The Pandemic

Depression and anxiety can be serious, but both conditions are treatable. Vannorsdall emphasizes four ways to maximize your mental health and keep anxiety and depression from taking over:

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Pharmacologic Treatments For Migraine And Depression

Ideally, migraines and depression should be treated simultaneously. It is a mistake to think that migraine should not be addressed until the depressive symptoms have resolved, or vice versa. The 2 conditions can be treated at the same time, Dr Seng emphasized. Patients with these conditions should be receiving aggressive treatments on all fronts to help reduce both migraine and depressive symptomatology.

Choosing migraine-preventive medication in patients with psychiatric comorbidities should be based on a number of factors, including the severity of the psychiatric comorbidity, patients preferences, patients risk for adverse events, and prior treatment history.9

If the psychiatric comorbidity is mild, it may be possible to use monotherapy for migraine prevention as well as the psychiatric condition. However, with severe conditions, or the absence of overlap, separate treatments are needed.9 In addition, using separate treatments for migraine and psychiatric comorbidity rather than monotherapy appears to improve outcomes and minimize side effects.9

Treatment should proceed in a sequential stepwise manner with close monitoring of potential side effects and treatment interactions.9 Some migraine preventives like topiramate can affect mood, while it is possible that -blockers may be associated with depression.9Table 1 lists pharmacotherapies for migraine prevention and psychiatric comorbidities.

Table 1: Pharmacotherapies For Migraine and Psychiatric Comorbidities

Secondary Service Connection: Migraines Secondary To Depression

In the instance of migraines and depression, migraines may be claimed as a secondary condition to depression. To be eligible for secondary service connection for migraines, the veteran would need to:

• Already be service-connected for depression
• Provide a diagnosis for the secondary condition and
• Provide medical evidence, or a nexus, showing the relationship between depression and migraines

Veterans who develop migraines as a result of depression should consider this process in order to receive benefits for their migraines. Additionally, research has indicated a relationship between migraines and anxiety disorders, another mental health condition. Veterans may also be entitled to secondary service connection if they developed migraines as a result of an anxiety disorder. Below is information regarding how VA rates mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

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