The stress of coping with the difficulties and setbacks we all face in life can be discouraging. But how do we know if we, or someone that we know, have moved beyond mere discouragement toward clinical depression?

There are some keys signs and symptoms of depression that will help us determine where we are emotionally and if we need depression treatment.

Symptoms of Clinical Depression

The symptoms of depression are fairly standardized and include:

• Fatigue and decreased energy
• Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, loneliness, and helplessness
• Insomnia (difficulty sleeping), early morning awakening
• Excessive sleeping
• Difficulty concentrating or remembering details
• Irritability
• Severe changes in appetite- overeating or loss of appetite
• Persistent feelings of sadness, and emptiness
• Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
• Thoughts of harming yourself or suicidal thoughts

Diagnosing Clinical Depression

Merely having some of the symptoms of major depression for a brief period of time is not enough to warrant a clinical diagnosis of major depression. These symptoms experienced over a prolonged period of time and which interfere with leading a normal, active life are reliable indicators that a person may be clinically depressed and in need of depression treatment.

Researchers vary in their estimations of the commonality of major depression with some studies relating that 30 % (or 1 in 3) Americans will experience major depression while other studies put the depression rates somewhere around 50 % of the US adult population.

If you or someone you know does exhibit these symptoms over a long periods of time- it is time to get some help.

Diagnosing clinical depression is best left to medical and mental health professionals- but all of us should know (from a layman’s perspective) the signs and symptoms of depression. This is especially important when someone is feeling suicidal. Research reflects that approximately 1 in 10 people who are clinically depressed go on to commit suicide (this is a conservative estimate).

If you or someone you know is suicidal do not hesitate to call 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-273-TALK. Getting people who are suffering from major depression the help they need is of paramount importance.

The good news is- help is available.

Get Depression Treatment Early

Because one of the key complications stemming from depression is a lack of motivation, sometimes a depressed person needs someone to reach out with compassion and help that person get in touch with the right people- this may be a family physician, a psychiatrist, or a mental health professional.

These professionals have specialized training in diagnosing and treating not only the symptoms of depression but its underlying causes. Often certain medications can be prescribed to stabilize one’s mood while the person participates in therapeutic counseling to deal with the root issues that provoked the depressive episode in the first place.

If the symptoms of depression are negatively impacting your life, your relationships, your work or your family- then seek help at once.

Treating depression early can prevent things from getting worse.

Remember, feeling depressed does not mean you have a major depressive disorder. However, if you can’t pull yourself out of your symptoms don’t suffer in silence, talk to your physician or a mental health provider and get the help you need to enjoy an active, normal life.

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Generalized anxiety disorder can manifest itself during childhood or adulthood.  It has similar symptoms as a panic disorder and other types of social anxiety disorder.

However, they are all different conditions.

Coping with an anxiety disorder is a difficult, long term, process.  It can be accompanied by other panic or mood disorders. However, in most cases, generalized anxiety disorder can successfully treated with a combination of anxiety medications and psychotherapy.

In addition, lifestyle changes coping skills and relaxation techniques are a useful supplement to medical care.

Symptoms Of General Anxiety Disorder

The anxiety symptoms associated with general anxiety disorder can include:

• Incessant worrying or obsession
• Constant restlessness
• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Trembling
• Insomnia
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Shortness of breath
• Heart Palpitations

Even though there may be brief periods of time where you feel that your anxiety does not rule your life, you continue to experience feelings of anxiety even if there is not really a reason for the feeling.  Most people with a generalized anxiety disorder are constantly haunted by a sense of foreboding.

They are always waiting for “the other shoe to drop.”

Many people with generalized anxiety disorder can’t recall when they last felt relaxed or at ease.

Common Risk Factors For General Anxiety Disorder

Several risk factors tend to increase the risk of developing general anxiety disorder, including, but not limited to:

Being Female. Women are twice as likely to develop generalized anxiety disorder as their male counterparts.

Childhood Abuse Or Trauma. If a patient suffered from abuse or other trauma as a child, even if they only witnessed the trauma, they are at higher risk of generalized anxiety disorder at some point in life.

Chronic Or Serious Illness. Having a chronic health condition or serious illness such as cancer can cause significant worry about the future, your treatment and your finances.

Stressful Lifestyle. Where the patient anticipates a stressful or important event, he or she may experience a higher anxiety level.  However, with an anxiety sufferer, even smaller events chronically trigger excess anxiety.

Personality Type. People with Type A personalities are more prone to anxiety disorders than are others. In addition, other personality disorders may be linked to generalized anxiety disorder.

Genetic Makeup. Generalized anxiety disorder may run in families for psychological and well a physiological reasons.  If family members have had a history of anxiety, depression or panic attacks, you may have a predisposition to having an anxiety disorder as well.

Drug And Alcohol Abuse. Substance abuse can aggravate generalized anxiety disorder. Caffeine and nicotine also may have an effect on anxiety.

See A Physician For Generalized Anxiety Disorder

While it is true that some anxiety is a normal part of everyday life, it is important to see a physician if you are experiencing one or more of the following:

Worrying Too Much. If you feel like you’re worrying too much, the you probably are.  If your worrying is causing problems at work, home or other parts of your life, then it is time to see a doctor.

Feelings Of Depression. If you feel depressed or are using drugs or alcohol as an escape, or you have other concerns along with anxiety.  You may need to seek depression treatment because generalized anxiety disorder and feelings of depression often accompany each other.

Suicidal Thoughts. If you are having suicidal thoughts, you need to seek help immediately.  You are supposed to seek help because something is wrong and it is not your fault.

Your anxiety is not going to go away on its own.  In fact, unless you get help, it is likely to get worse.

Go ahead and seek medical help now because anxiety is easier to successfully treat the earlier it is caught.

How Can Your Doctor Help You?

When you seek medical treatment for generalized anxiety disorder, your physician will perform a physical examination and ask you a series of questions.

If you have already considered the answers, then you will have more time to spend on other aspects of treatment.

Here are some of the most common questions:

1. What are your symptoms?  How severe are your symptoms? (Give examples)
2. Does your anxiety seem to be continuous or occasional?
3. How long ago did you first notice your anxiety?
4. What triggers your anxiety.  What seems to make it better or worse?
5. Have you been diagnosed with any other mental health condition?
6. What, if any, physical or mental health conditions do you have?
7. Did you have, or witness, a traumatic experience recently or in the past?
8. Do you use alcohol, medications, or illegal drugs?  If so, how often?  (Do not be afraid to answer this question truthfully as your physician is not interested in reporting you to the police).
9. Do you have relatives with anxiety or depression?

In order to diagnose you with generalized anxiety disorder, your physician must examine the following criteria:

1. Excessive anxiety and worry most days of the week that has persisted for at least six months.
2. Inability or difficulty controlling worry.
3. Anxiety or worry that interferes with your daily life.
4. Anxiety that isn’t related to another mental health condition (ie panic attacks, drug and alcohol abuse, or post-traumatic stress disorder).
5. Three of the following:  restlessness, fatigue, trouble concentrating, irritability, muscle tension or insomnia.

Medications For Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Several different types of medications are used to treat generalized anxiety disorder:

Antidepressants. These affect activity of certain neurotransmitters and are commonly used in depression treatment.  These are thought to play a role in anxiety disorders. Common depression medications include Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro, Zoloft, Effexor and Tofranil.

Buspirone (BuSpar). This anxiety medication can be used on an ongoing basis. However, it takes several weeks to become fully effective. You may experience lightheadedness for a period of time after you begin taking it.  Unfortunately, in some cases, it has the opposite of the intended effect including, headaches, nausea, nervousness and insomnia.  If you experience these symptoms, consult your physician.

Benzodiazepines. These are prescribed for short-term relief of anxiety symptoms. These include Klonopin, Ativan), Valium, Librium and Xanax. These medications are generally short term solutions for acute anxiety symptoms. The main disadvantage of these medications is that they are habit forming and cause drowsiness, reduced muscle coordination, lack of balance and memory.

Therapy For Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Counseling or therapy is an essential tool in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.  It involves working through the underlying life stresses and concerns by making changes in response to them.  Used in conjunction with medication, it can be a very effective treatment for anxiety.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most common type of therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. It is generally a short-term treatment that focuses on teaching you coping skills. You learn to identify negative thoughts and behaviors and replace them with positive ones.

Even if a stressful situation doesn’t change, you change the way you feel about the situation thereby increasing control over your life.

Lifestyle Changes And Self Help For Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Most people need psychotherapy and/or medication to get anxiety under control.  But, certain lifestyle changes can be an effective supplement to medical treatment.  Some of the most common lifestyle changes are:

Exercise. This is a powerful stress reducer and serves to cause your body to create more of the same chemicals that are created through the use of depression medications.  The exercise routine needs to be moderate and daily.  Start slowly and increase the amount and intensity of exercise over a period of time.  With exercise, easy really does it.

Diet. Fatty, sugary and highly processed foods should be avoided.  Some people are more sensitive to refined sugar and processed breads and pastas.  Organic vegetables, whole grain breads and free range meat are good dietary choices.  Eat a lot of fish.

Avoid alcohol and other sedatives. This is self explanatory.

Relaxation Techniques. Visualization techniques, meditation and yoga are examples of relaxation techniques that can ease anxiety.  They are easy to learn and you will eventually look forward to your meditation or yoga workouts.  This should be time that you give yourself permission just for yourself.

Get Plenty Of Sleep. You have to get plenty of sleep for a variety of reasons.  If you are sleep deprived, you cannot think rationally and you will tend to use stimulants such as caffeine. If you are not sleeping well, let your doctor know.

Join An Anxiety Support Group. Part of the anxiety is derived from a feeling that something is wrong with you.  Having the support of other anxiety sufferers can alleviate these feelings.  Search for support groups in your community, and on the Internet.

Take Action. A lot of anxiety is derived from feelings of helplessness.  It certain situations are causing you anxiety, then address them.  Action, any action, is empowering and gives you a sense of control.

Let It Be. I love the Beatles version of the song “Let It Be.”  In fact, I listen to it often.  You cannot control every aspect of your life, nor should you be able to do so.  A certain amount of uncertainty gives the Divine the opportunity to work for you in your life and builds your faith.  As you are a creature with free will, God will not intervene until you let it be.

Break The Cycle. Anxiety often causes paralysis.  When you feel symptoms of anxiety, break the pattern by exercising, meditating or doing something else to change your state of mind.

Stick To Your Treatment. People who seek medical assistance often find rapid recovery from the symptoms of anxiety.  You may be tempted to skip your medicine, support group or therapy session.  Don’t do it.  Take medications as prescribed. Keep therapy appointments. Consistency can make a big difference in regaining control of your life.

Socialize With Others. The worst thing you can do when suffering from generalized anxiety disorder is isolate yourself.  Social interaction and caring relationships can lessen your worries.

Using Alternative Medicine For General Anxiety Disorder

It is not clear how some supplements treat anxiety, but some supplements that have been used to treat anxiety include:

Kava. This herb is reported to relax you without making you feel sedated. Some studies have linked kava to liver problems, so it isn’t a good idea to take it if you have a liver condition, drink alcohol daily or take medications that affect your liver.

Valerian. Most commonly used as a sleep aid, valerian has a sedative effect and may also relieve anxiety.

Vitamin B and Folic Acid. These nutrients may relieve anxiety by affecting the production of chemicals needed for your brain to function (neurotransmitters).

Talk to your doctor before taking herbal remedies or supplements to make sure they’re safe for you and won’t interact with any medications you take.

Preventing Generalized Anxiety Disorder

There is no way that you can be certain that your symptoms of anxiety will deteriorate into generalized anxiety disorder.  However, there are steps that you can take to minimize this possibility:

Seek Medical help Early. The worst thing that can happen is that you will find that you are not suffering from a disorder.  However, as with any ailment, the longer you wait, the harder it is to treat the disorder.

Journal. Journaling is a great way to keep track of your life and notice trends over time that might escape your attention.  If necessary, your physician or mental health provider can use the journal to document the development of a mental health disorder.

Prioritize Your Activities. Manage your time and energy.  Do not try to do too much each day.  A to do list that is consistently longer than five items is a prescription for anxiety.  Learn to delegate.  Learn to say “No.”

Avoid Substance Use. Alcohol, illegal and prescription drugs and even excessive caffeine consumption can lead to increased symptoms of anxiety.  If you are addicted to any substance, quitting increases anxiety. Seek help early to minimize anxiety.

Seek Help Early For General Anxiety Disorder

As with other mental health conditions, generalized anxiety disorder is not completely understood. It may involve naturally occurring brain chemicals and/or have other causes such as genetics, your environment and stress.

Generalized anxiety disorder is a persistent condition that requires ongoing treatment. Fortunately, with treatment, you will not feel anxious all of the time. However, the susceptibility remains, especially during the natural stresses of life.

Anxiety disorders can occur alone or in conjunction with other mental health conditions, such as other anxiety disorders, drug and alcohol abuse and mood disorders.

The good news is that general anxiety disorder is a highly treatable condition through a combination of therapy, lifestyle changes and medication.  Do not suffer in silence.  You will only make things worse if you wait.

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The good news is that the therapy for treating anxiety disorder is fairly standardized.  Anxiety help consists of a combination of anxiety therapy (cognitive behavior therapy) and anxiety medicine.

Here is a brief look at what you can expect when being diagnosed and treated for generalized anxiety disorder.

Diagnosing Generalized Anxiety Disorder

If symptoms of anxiety are present, your physician will ask questions about your medical history and perform a physical examination. The doctor may use a series of tests to rule out physical illness, such as heart disease, as the cause of the symptoms.

The diagnosis of an anxiety disorder is primarily based on the intensity and length of the episodes.  Tell your doctor about any particular problems that you have functioning while the symptoms are present.

Once the doctor has rules out physical causes of the symptoms of anxiety, he will diagnose whether or not the symptoms and degree of dysfunction indicate a specific anxiety disorder or generalized anxiety disorder.

Generalized anxiety disorder is present if symptoms are present for more days than not during a period of at least six months. In addition, the symptoms also must interfere with daily activities such as work or school.

Treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Once your doctor diagnoses you with an anxiety disorder, anxiety therapy is a fairly standardized combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and medication to control the symptoms of anxiety and depression.  As depression often coexists or follows the anxiety itself, depression treatment is usually a part of anxiety treatment.

Anxiety Medications

The anxiety medicine which is often used to treat anxiety is a class of anxiety drugs called benzodiazepines.  The primary effect of this anxiety medication is to leave you calm and relaxed by decreasing the muscle tension and restlessness.  Common benzodiazepines include Xanax, Librium, Valium and Ativan.

BuSpar, also may be used to treat chronic anxiety by affecting the activity of certain neurotransmitters, including serotonin. Unlike the benzodiazepines, BuSpar does not cause sleepiness and is not habit forming.

Lastly, antidepressants, such as Paxil, Effexor, and Pristiq are also used to treat anxiety disorders.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

In this type of therapy, people suffering from anxiety disorders and depression often learn to recognize and change thought patterns and behaviors that lead to panic attacks and symptoms of anxiety.

This type of therapy helps limit distorted thinking by looking at worries more realistically.

Some patients respond well to relaxation techniques, deep breathing, biofeedback, and meditation.  All of these tend to control the muscle tension and negative self talk that often accompanies an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety Treatment Is Available And Effective

Unfortunately, in our fast paced society, symptoms of anxiety are fairly common.  As such, treatment options have been refined to the point that, in most cases, anxiety therapy is fairly standardized and effective.

There is no need to settle for coping with anxiety.  Anxiety relief is available.  Do not wait until you have had another anxiety attack to get the anxiety help you need to reclaim your life.

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Benzodiazepines

This class of anxiety medications is very effective for treating panic attacks and are probably the most well known of medications for anxiety treatment.  Some of the benzodiaepines include:

• Alprazolam (Xanax),
• Lorazepam (Ativan), and
• lonazepam (Klonopin).

These are fast acting medications but have some serious side effects such as dependency and withdrawal symptoms.  In elderly people, other side effects such as memory loss and

confusion have been observed.

When I was suffering from panic attacks, my symptoms of anxiety were complicated by a rotator cuff injury that mimicked cardiac symptoms.  Even though the doctors could not find any cardiac problems, the symptoms persisted and morphed into anxiety.

My doctor prescribed a small amount of alprazolam and instructed me to take one when I suffered the next episode of “cardiac symptoms.”  I did as instructed and the symptoms went away within an hour.

At that point, I knew my symptoms were related to anxiety and not my heart.  Interestingly, this went a long way toward diminishing my anxiety, even after the medication wore off.

Anti-Depressants

Most commonly, a class of depression medication called tricyclic drugs are prescribed to treat generalized anxiety disorder.  The main problem with disadvantage of tricyclic drugs is that they sometimes produce heart palpitations and dizziness.  Other side effects of this type of depression medication include fatigue and weight gain.  Because this class of drugs works slowly, they are often prescribed with benzodiazepines when the patient is first diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Among this class of drugs, imipramine (Tofranil) is considered to be the best treatment for anxiety. Some of the other tricyclic drugs include:

• Anafranil (clomipramine)
• Norpramin (desipramine), and
• Pamelor (nortryptyline).

In addition to the tricyclics mentioned above, MAO (monoamine oxidase) Inhibitors are also used in treating panic disorders.  Unfortunately, these drugs also can negatively affect your health because the drug contains tyramine, which is also found in certain foods.  As a result, the patient must follow a restrictive diet.

Lastly, the patient can also take SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) drugs which includes Prozac (fluoxetine), and Zoloft (sertraline), Paxil (paroxetine)

Azapirones

The main azipirone is a drug called buspirone, sold under the brand name of BuSpar. It can be used to treat different types of anxiety disorders.  However, as with tricyclic drugs, buspirones are also slower to act than benzodiazepines.

Do Not Suffer In Silence:  Anxiety Medications Are Available

If you are suffering from symptoms of depression and anxiety, you need not continue to suffer alone.  Effective anxiety therapy and anxiety medications are available and effective in treating anxiety as well as depression that often results in conjunction with a generalized anxiety disorder.

In addition, the medications discussed above are some of the best choices for anxiety help.  Consult with your primary care physician and develop a course of treatment that best fits your situation.

Anxiety medications are often used as an adjunct to anxiety therapy and the two are designed to work symbiotically with each other.  Together, you and your mental health advisor can design an effective combination of each to treat your anxiety disorder.

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