Anxiety and Depression Symptoms

Depression is characterized by a feeling of hopelessness, lack of energy or initiative, not wanting to interact with people socially, sometimes a sense that life is no longer worth living. Thoughts about things that have gone wrong and that one is inadequate or worthless.

Sometimes physical symptoms go along with depression, like changes in weight or restlessness and fatigue.

Extreme symptoms of depression can include thoughts of suicide along with difficulty concentrating or remembering things.

Anxiety is characterized by constant worries and fears that are irrational but just won't go away. These fears are usually triggered by something: a cutting remark by someone else, a future stressful event like a business meeting or public speaking event. The term paranoid has moved from psychology and psychiatry where it began into popular langauge and generally means someone who is irrationally afraid all the time.

Now it's normal for some anxiety or fear to be present when something stressful is approaching but when it never goes away and is persistent despite evidence that the threat is imagined - that usually indicates an anxiety disorder.

Medications have made great progress in this area and if you are experiencing these symptoms, it would be wise to consult a physician and consider starting a medication if that is what the doctor recommends. There's is often some trial and error involved. Sometimes the dosages need to be changed. Sometimes one medication doesn't quite work and you need to ask for a different one. Keep doing this until you find a medicine and dosage that works for you.

It used to be conventional wisdom that depressed or anxious people were just too lazy or weak to handle their problems and that taking a pill was an easy way out. Don't be fooled into accepting this kind of logic. Chemical imbalances are at the root of many anxiety and depression symptoms and just changing one's outlook is not always enough to correct these problems.

Besides conventional medical treatment, there are many natural, holistic methods that should be part of one's arsenal in fighting depression and anxiety.

Some of these are:

Breathing - Deep breathing and relaxation help calm the body and get it back to a non-agitated condition.

Insight - Understanding what the triggers are for anxiety attacks can help minimize their intensity and duration.

Herbs - There are many natural herbs, like St John's Wort and Valerian Root that can help.

Healthy Lifestyle - Getting enough exercise, eating healthy food and minimizing alcohol and recreational chemical use all help normalize the body and mind.