Supporting Someone With Anxiety Or Depression
There are ways that you can help someone with anxiety or depression. It may be helpful to:
- let them know if youve noticed a change in their behaviour
- spend time talking about their experiences and let them know youre there to listen without being judgmental
- help them to get information from a website, library or community health centre
- suggest they go to a doctor or health professional, and help them to make an appointment
- offer to go with them to their appointment and follow up with them afterwards
- encourage them to get enough sleep, to exercise and to eat well
- encourage family and friends to invite them out and keep in touch, but dont pressure them to participate in activities
- contact a doctor or hospital if they become a threat to themselves or others.
It is unhelpful to:
- put pressure on them by telling them to snap out of it or get their act together
- stay away or avoid them
- tell them they just need to stay busy or get out more
- pressure them to party more or wipe out how theyre feeling with drugs and alcohol
- assume the problem will just go away.
If you or someone you know needs support, talk to a doctor or other health professional about getting appropriate treatment.
Panic Attacks And Depression
Panic attacks can be devastating for those suffering from the condition. Attacks come at random and can occur frequently or can have long periods of time between episodes. The fact that attacks can’t be anticipated causes more anxiety. Ultimately, two thirds of the people who have a panic attack will be diagnosed with a panic disorder within a year following their first attack, and half of those who go through a panic attack will develop clinical depression within a year. It seems that panic attacks and depression often go hand in hand.
The first thing to do after experiencing a panic attack is to go through a medical evaluation so physical conditions can be ruled out as the cause of the panic attack. Overactive thyroid, heart problems, too much nicotine or caffeine, certain medications, and abuse of alcohol or illegal drug use can cause symptoms similar to panic attacks. Scientists aren’t sure what causes true panic attacks. They may be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. Sometimes panic attacks are an inherited condition. Many times there is no physical reason for an attack, but it is best to get medical help to rule out physical causes.
What Can Clients Do During An Attack
The exercises described above are essential tools for reducing the likelihood of a panic attack occurring, recovering from the aftermath, and fostering better psychological wellbeing. However, they can also be used during a panic attack to reduce its severity and duration.
As soon as your client feels the onset of a panic attack, they should begin by grounding themselves, affirming that they are experiencing a panic attack, immediately creating some psychological distance, and identifying a panic attack as something that is happening to them. Once they have done this, their focus should be on managing the intense physical pain and anxiety they will be experiencing.
This is a Herculean task, and your client should realize that success is not making the panic attack disappear, but just making it a little more controlled.
They should use their controlled breathing exercises to soothe the brain, soften the alarm signals being sent by the body, and reduce the spiraling sensation of a panic attack. They should affirm that they are safe and that the panic attack will pass, labeling their emotions as calmly as possible to increase the psychological distance they created initially.
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What Is A Panic Attack
A panic attack causes sudden, brief feelings of fear and strong physical reactions in response to ordinary, nonthreatening situations. When youre having a panic attack, you may sweat a lot, have difficulty breathing and feel like your heart is racing. It may feel as if youre having a heart attack.
Panic disorder can develop when you worry too much about having another panic attack or change behaviors to avoid having a panic attack.
Biological Mechanisms Of Anxiety And Depression
Anxiety disorders and depression may be related through similar biological mechanisms in the brain. A 2010 study found that stress, anxiety, and depression may be linked by neurological pathways that have to do with a specific serotonin receptor called 5-HTRs. Serotonin is an important brain neurotransmitter that is responsible for balancing your mood. It also plays a role in sleep, digestion, blood clotting, wound healing, bone health, and sexual desire.
Serotonin levels could be a common link between panic and depressive disorders. Fortunately, treatment options can address these disorders by addressing serotonin levels. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are first-line treatment options for both anxiety and depression. These drugs can increase serotonin levels to improve your mood and relieve anxiety. Though they arent magic pills, its important to work with your doctor to find the best treatment option for your needs.
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Clinical Case: Anxiety And Depression Homeopathic Treatment
The condition started on March 1, 2013, when the person took part on a street open-air concert. It was pretty crowded and she experienced a panic attack. Panic attacks are sudden, unreasonable feelings of fear and anxiety that cause physical symptoms like a racing heart, fast breathing and sweating. Some people become so fearful of these attacks that they develop panic disorder, a type of anxiety disorder. She didnt do anything about this at the time, however she was very worried about her health. One month later, another panic attack happened, whit no apparently reason. Now, she was worried enough and the patient visited a specialist. She was under medical treatment for a while with no result, why she turned to homeopathy.
She also has short-lasting headache, in the temporal region, felt as if a red-hot knife is thrust into the skull. This condition periodically aggravates, with a high blood pressure 180/90 mm Hg, and huge fear of imminent death. During the last three months, she lost 10 kg. She is a thirsty person, drinking water in small sips, experiencing dry mouth. Also, she complained about having dry stools, once in two days.
After case analysis, the homeopathic remedy Aconitum 200CH was prescribed.
She continued the treatment, no changes in the remedy prescription.
It should be mentioned that the patient came alone to the appointment , travelling more than 100 km to reach the clinic. The homeopathic remedy Arsenicum album 200CH was prescribed.
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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Causes Of Panic Attacks And Panic Disorder
Although the exact causes of panic attacks and panic disorder are unclear, the tendency to have panic attacks runs in families. There also appears to be a connection with major life transitions such as graduating from college and entering the workplace, getting married, or having a baby. Severe stress, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or job loss can also trigger panic attacks.
Panic attacks can also be caused by medical conditions and other physical causes. If youre suffering from symptoms of panic, its important to see a doctor to rule out the following possibilities:
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Panic Disorder
People with panic disorder may have:
- Sudden and repeated panic attacks of overwhelming anxiety and fear
- A feeling of being out of control, or a fear of death or impending doom during a panic attack
- An intense worry about when the next panic attack will happen
- A fear or avoidance of places where panic attacks have occurred in the past
- Physical symptoms during a panic attack, such as:
- Pounding or racing heart
- Stomach pain or nausea
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How To Treat Depression And Anxiety Naturally With A Functional Medicine Approach
Many patients come to me having tried different psychiatric medications without success. We start by testing patients Genomics, gut function, food allergies, heavy metals, nutritional deficiency, and hormone levels.
Often times just healing the gut, removing triggers such as gluten from the diet, and chelating heavy metals heals the broken brain and depression and anxiety lifts. Patients start having more energy and their focus and memory improves. This change in their physiology lifts the symptoms of despair, hopelessness, and sadness.
We offer holistic treatment for depression, an approach that goes directly to the root cause of the problem.
How To Get A Diagnosis
If you experience symptoms of a panic attack for the first time, you may want to seek emergency medical care. Many people who have a panic attack for the first time believe theyre having a heart attack. It can be hard to differentiate the symptoms without the help of a medical professional.
While at the emergency care facility, a healthcare professional will perform several tests to see if your symptoms are caused by a heart attack.
These include:
- an electrocardiogram to check heart function
If they determine you do not need emergency care, youll likely be referred back to your primary care physician if you have one.
Your primary care physician will likely:
- review any earlier lab results
- ask about your symptoms
- perform a mental health examination
Your primary care doctor or a mental health specialist can diagnose panic attacks and panic disorder.
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How Are Panic Attacks Diagnosed
Serious health problems, such as heart disease, thyroid disease and respiratory problems, cause symptoms similar to panic attacks. Your healthcare provider may run tests to rule out a physical problem. If theres no physical cause, your provider may make a diagnosis based on your symptoms and risk factors.
What Causes Panic Disorder
Panic disorder sometimes runs in families, but no one knows for sure why some family members have it while others dont. Researchers have found that several parts of the brain and certain biological processes may play a crucial role in fear and anxiety. Some researchers think panic attacks are like false alarms where our bodys typical survival instincts are active either too often, too strongly, or some combination of the two. For example, someone with panic disorder might feel their heart pounding and assume theyre having a heart attack. This may lead to a vicious cycle, causing a person to experience panic attacks seemingly out of the blue, the central feature of panic disorder. Researchers are studying how the brain and body interact in people with panic disorder to create more specialized treatments. In addition, researchers are looking at the ways stress and environmental factors play a role in the disorder.
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Mental Health Conditions: Depression And Anxiety
Depression is more than just feeling down or having a bad day. When a sad mood lasts for a long time and interferes with normal, everyday functioning, you may be depressed. Symptoms of depression include:1
- Feeling sad or anxious often or all the time
- Not wanting to do activities that used to be fun
- Feeling irritable easily frustrated or restless
- Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
- Waking up too early or sleeping too much
- Eating more or less than usual or having no appetite
- Experiencing aches, pains, headaches, or stomach problems that do not improve with treatment
- Having trouble concentrating, remembering details, or making decisions
- Feeling tired even after sleeping well
- Feeling guilty, worthless, or helpless
- Thinking about suicide or hurting yourself
The following information is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis of major depression and cannot take the place of seeing a mental health professional. If you think you are depressed talk with your doctor or a mental health professional immediately. This is especially important if your symptoms are getting worse or affecting your daily activities.
The exact cause of depression is unknown. It may be caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.2 Everyone is different but the following factors may increase a persons chances of becoming depressed:1
What Is Samhsa’s National Helpline
SAMHSAs National Helpline, , or TTY: is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.
Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 to find help near you. Read more about the HELP4U text messaging service.
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When Someone Is Having A Panic Attack
Below are some tips for you or your loved one to consider during a panic attack:
- Anxiety cannot increase forever and you cannot experience peak levels of anxiety forever. Physiologically there is a point at which our anxiety cannot become any higher and our bodies will not maintain that peak level of anxiety indefinitely. At that point, there is nowhere for anxiety to go but down. It is uncomfortable to reach that peak but it is important to remember this anxiety will even out and then go down with time.
- Emotions are like a wave, they will come and they will go.
- You have experienced this before, you know what to expect, and you will be able to handle it.
- Avoidance is anxiety’s best friend. Avoidance now will mean sustained anxiety in the future.
The following websites and brochures provide useful information for helping and supporting loved ones with panic disorder:
Signs And Symptoms Of Panic Disorder
While many people experience just one or two panic attacks without further episodes or complicationsand theres little reason to worry if thats yousome people go on to develop panic disorder. Panic disorder is characterized by repeated panic attacks, combined with major changes in behavior or persistent anxiety over having further attacks.
You may be suffering from panic disorder if you:
- Experience frequent, unexpected panic attacks that arent tied to a specific situation
- Worry a lot about having another panic attack
- Are behaving differently because of the panic attacks, such as avoiding places where youve previously panicked
While a single panic attack may only last a few minutes, the effects of the experience can leave a lasting imprint. If you have panic disorder, the recurrent panic attacks take an emotional toll. The memory of the intense fear and terror that you felt during the attacks can negatively impact your self-confidence and cause serious disruption to your everyday life. Eventually, this leads to the following panic disorder symptoms:
Anticipatory anxiety Instead of feeling relaxed and like your normal self in between panic attacks, you feel anxious and tense. This anxiety stems from a fear of having future panic attacks. This fear of fear is present most of the time, and can be extremely disabling.
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What If I Don’t Feel Better
Your doctor should offer you regular appointments to check how you’re doing, and see how well any treatment is working for you.
Different things work for different people, so if a particular medication, type of talking therapy or particular therapist doesn’t work for you, your doctor should offer an alternative.
If you’ve tried a range of treatments and none of them have helped, your doctor might refer you to a community mental health team . This is made up of a number of different healthcare professionals, such as psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. Your CMHT can assess you separately and offer you a personalised treatment plan.
This is particularly recommended if:
- your symptoms are making it very difficult to carry out everyday activities
- you have a serious physical health problem or another mental health problem
- you’re having thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
It’s important to remember that recovery is a journey, and it won’t always be straightforward. For example, you might find it more helpful to focus on learning more about yourself and developing ways to cope, rather than trying to get rid of all your symptoms.
Depression Treatment: Medicinal Therapy
Antidepressant medications function well to deal with depression. Sometimes various antidepressant medicines would have to be tried before locating the one that works finest for the person. Drugs that have actually assisted a close member of the family of the person are most likely to assist the individual looking for therapy too. Antidepressants normally take some time before they impact the signs. Cravings, sleep and also focus typically enhance before state of mind starts to lift.
It is very important for people obtaining treatment to provide the drug time before deciding that the medicine is not working. Antidepressants can have adverse effects, yet many negative effects may reduce with time. Talking with a healthcare provider regarding the adverse effects and not stopping the antidepressant by oneself is important. Stopping the medication early when one begins sensation better is additionally not an excellent idea. Quiting the drug instantly can trigger undesirable withdrawal signs and also can be harmful. It would certainly be best to comply with the suggested course of time and afterwards to quit the medicine gradually as well as securely with the help of a healthcare carrier.
Cognitive Behavior Modification and also Social Treatment are proof based psychotherapies that have actually been found to be efficient in the therapy of clinical depression.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy .
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