Self Help for Anxiety Disorders

Not everyone that experiences worry actually has an anxiety disorder, even when they seem to worry a lot. You may be experiencing anxiousness for a reason, such as lack of sleep, lack of exercise, home pressure, pressure at work, an overly demanding schedule or even simply because you drink too much coffee. Consider that the bottom line here is that if you have an unhealthy or a stressful lifestyle, then it is going to be normal for you to feel anxious, regardless of whether or not you have an anxiety disorder. If you feel that you are worrying too much, then you are going to want to take the time to truly evaluate just how well you are caring for yourself.

Do you give yourself time every day for some relaxation and some fun?

Are you ensuring that you get all of the emotional support that you need?

Are you ensuring that your entire body is being taken care of?

Are you feeling overloaded with responsibilities?

Are you willing to ask for help in situations where you need it?

If your levels of stress are feeling through the roof, then you are going to want to think about the various ways that you can really begin to bring your life back into a sense of balance. Are there any responsibilities that you can reasonably give up or turn down, or possibly even delegate to other people? If you are feeling unsupported or isolated, then you should find somebody that you can trust and confide in them appropriately. Sometimes simply talking about the worries on your mind is going to allow them to feel less frightening to you. Take steps to alleviate your anxiety and see how things change for you.

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The Signs and Symptoms of Depression

On the Threshold of Eternity

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The signs and symptoms for depression can vary significantly from one person to the next, but there are definitely some more common symptoms and signs of this mental illness. It is important that you remember that all of these symptoms can come and go as part of life, but when you have more symptoms and stronger symptoms, or if they are lasting longer and longer periods of time, then it is possible that you are dealing with real clinical depression. When these specific symptoms become overwhelming and increasingly disabling, that is when you need to get help.

Feelings that you are helpless or hopeless. You may have a bleak outlook about your life, feeling like nothing is going to get better and that there isn’t anything available for you to do to improve the situation that you are in.

Loss of interest in things that you are normally interested in from day to day. Your hobbies, social activities, past times and even sexual interactions may no longer be fulfilling.

Changes in weight or in appetite.

Changes in sleep such as insomnia or oversleeping, which is known as hypersomnia.

Restlessness and feelings of irritability. You may feel on edge, restless or agitated. Your coping mechanisms may seem nonexistent and your level of tolerance may be low. When you are feeling this way, everyone and everything may get on your nerves.

Loss of energy or lacking energy in comparison to normal. You may feel fatigued or sluggish, or you may simply feel completely physically drained. Small tasks may even feel exhausting for you.

Feelings of self loathing. You may feel guilty or worthless, and you may criticize yourself harshly for thoughts or mistakes that you perceive.

Problems with concentration including problems focusing, remembering things and making decisions.

Unexplained pains and aches throughout the body including back pain, headaches, stomach pain and aching muscles.

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Are You Depressed?

Everybody is capable of experiencing ups and downs when it comes to our moods. Sadness is a completely normal reaction to the struggles, the setbacks and the disappointments that we deal with on a daily basis. Many people commonly refer to these kinds of feelings as depression, though feelings of depression are actually much more severe in comparison to sadness. Many people have described having depression as feeling as if you are living in a black hole, or possessing a feeling reminiscent of impending doom. Some people that have depression do not actually feel sadness at all, but instead they experience feelings of apathy, emptiness and lifelessness.

Whatever symptoms you experience, depression is definitely different from a normal type of sadness in that it will completely engulf your life on a day to day basis, interfering with things like your ability to study, work, sleep, eat and simply enjoy yourself. There are a number of intense and even unrelenting feelings that you will experience including helplessness, worthlessness and hopelessness, and it is likely that you will very rarely if ever experience periods of relief.

There are a number of signs and symptoms associated with true depression. If you have any of these symptoms and they do not seem to be capable of going away, then you may be suffering from true clinical depression: difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, inability to concentrate, previously simple tasks have become more difficult, hopelessness, helplessness, uncontrollable negative thoughts, loss of appetite or inability to control eating, irritable more than often, short-tempered more often than usual, or you experience thoughts that your life is no longer worth living. If you experience any of these symptoms on a consistent basis, then now is the time for you to request help from someone that can help you understand your feelings.

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More Types of Personalit​y Disorders

Here are more personality disorders that are common in this day and age, and some of the details that make each distinct from the others in the list.

Narcissistic Personality. This is a type of personality disorder that is characterized based on self-centeredness. Just like with histrionic disorder, people that have this disorder cannot help but seek praise and attention on a consistent basis. Narcissistic personality disorder is frequently perceived as excessive or obsessive vanity.

Histrionic Personality. This is a personality disorder that tends to involve a pattern of emotional expression as well as attention seeking on an excessive basis. It may include the person having an excessive need to receive approval as well as inappropriate use of seduction to gain favor. People with this disorder crave attention in order to feel whole or worthwhile.

Passive-Aggressive Personality. This is a personality disorder that involves a chronic condition where the person always appears to acquiesce to the needs and the desires of others, and yet is simultaneously passively resisting them, creating an increase in anger and hostility as a result.

Dependent Personality. This is a chronic personality condition that involves an over reliance on others in order to meet the person’s physical and emotional needs, and is also commonly referred to as codependency.

Personality Disorder NOS. The “Personality Disorder NOS” term is reserved for any personality disorder that does not fit into these other categories of personality disorders. In most cases, it means that a personality disorder is identified, but the specific type of personality disorder cannot be pinpointed. Here, NOS stands for Not Otherwise Specified.

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. This is a personality condition that is characterized by having a chronic preoccupation with orderliness, rules and control. People with this personality disorder have a tendency to become obsessive about specific things or behaviors, such as counting, tapping, washing hands, “checking” and similar behaviors in order to ease the anxiety that is characteristic of the disorder.

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Some Types of Personalit​y Disorders

Here is a look at some of the common personality disorders that people are suffering from and some of the characteristics that make each unique.

Borderline Personality Disorder. This is also known as BPD and is a serious type of mental illness that is primarily characterized by a pervasive instability not only in moods, but also in behavior, in self image and in interpersonal relationships as well. Instability in sense of self is the most common way that this disorder manifests, and so people that have these personality traits are constantly seeing things in black and white, love and hate, up and down.

Schizoid Personality. This is a psychiatric condition that is characterized by social isolation as well as indifference to others in a pattern that is lifelong in nature. People with this disorder have a tendency to completely separate themselves from other people as much as possible, and may be largely reclusive in nature as a result.

Schizotypal Personality. This is a personality disorder that is typically characterized by odd beliefs, peculiarities in thinking, eccentricities in appearance, thought, behavior and interpersonal style.

Paranoid Personality. This is a psychiatric condition that is characterized by an extreme level of distrust as well as suspicion of other people. This personality disorder entails far surpassing any normal level of paranoia, as people with a paranoid personality constantly feel persecuted and as if they are unsafe or otherwise under attack.

Antisocial Personality. This is a personality disorder that is characterized primarily by a chronic behavior of manipulating, violating and exploiting rights of other people. Antisocial personality disorder is frequently associated with utilizing criminal behaviors and the exploitation of others hand in hand.

Avoidant Personality. This is generally considered to be an active-detached type of personality disorder. This means that people with avoidant personality disorder avoid people on purpose because of fears of rejection and humiliation. People with an avoidant personality may become completely reclusive in order to avoid real or imagined threats to this end.

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Nature and Treatment of Addictions

Certainly addictions have become wide-stretched and difficult in regard to its prominence and effects. Individuals of all ages, virtually, can become affected with the behaviors and dynamics of addictions. While anything from obsessive behaviors (e.g., shopping and video games) can become addicted, alcohol and drug addictions are commonly referred to in this regard.

Generally speaking, addiction is formed from psychological dependence that stems from the brain. Commonly addiction is a coping mechanism on some level, which can be either psychological or biological in nature. Of course there are other elements and factors that can cause an addiction, though these are widespread and wide-ranging in nature.

Over the course of a person’s life, an addiction can be felt. For some individuals an addiction can later be displaced to a different type of addiction – or even a tendency that can affect a person’s lifestyle. One’s long-term health can also, of course, be directly affected by the nature of the addiction, as substance-related addictions can have certain effects relative to the specified substance.

A number of treatment options are available to those who may be addicted to some substance or object. It is not uncommon for an individual to be unsure of whether a true addiction is present, which bodes for those around the affected individual. Thus it is important for the individual or those around the individual to consult with a doctor, mental health professional, or other appropriate person.

Once the diagnosis has been made, either formally or informally, treatment should be sought. There are a number of valuable treatment centers and rehabilitation clinics that can help, such as MichaelsHouse.com. These institutions can give the individual the medical and psychological help needed with regards to the addiction. With the right support system and care from the time of its onset to treatment, an addiction can be treated so that the individual can regain control of his or her life.

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What to Expect When Beginning an Antidepres​sant

There are many different medications that you can use to treat a problem with depression. They always take some time to begin to work in your system, and then your symptoms of depression are going to start to improve over a period of time, typically spanning one and three weeks. It is important to know that it can take longer, sometimes between six and eight weeks before you see a serious improvement in your depression systems. If the medication does not seem to be working, then it might be necessary for your doctor to increase your dosage or to move you to a different type of antidepressant.

After you begin an antidepressant, there are some side effects that you may experience based on the medication. Most of the side effects that are associated with antidepressants are going to be temporary and they are generally going to go away as long as you continue to use the medication in the way that was directed by your physician. Keep in mind that some anti depressant products have side effects that are not likely to go away, persisting for much longer, but these are not typically harmful side effects and are usually constipation or sexual problems.

If you have any specific questions or concerns regarding the medications that you are taking, then it would be wise for you to talk to your physician. This is especially true if your questions are regarding how well your medication is working, as well as if any side effects are currently bothering you. You should never stop taking the antidepressant medication before you first talk to your doctor, because cutting off your antidepressants abruptly can cause a number of additional side effects and systems, including the return of your depression. Make sure that your doctor is aware of how the antidepressant is interacting with your body so that they can make changes to the dosage amount, frequency of use or type of antidepressant as necessary.

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Choosing an Antidepressant

If you are suffering from depression, there are a myriad of antidepressant products that you may try, but choosing an antidepressant must be an agreement between you and your doctor. One of the first steps is that your doctor may choose one for you.

Past experience with an antidepressant. Your doctor may choose an antidepressant that he or she has prescribed before, primarily for familiarity’s sake. If your doctor has experience with the drug interactions and side effects, then they may be more comfortable prescribing it. Some doctors have a tendency to prefer certain types of antidepressants or certain groups of antidepressants if they have had a track record of being effective for certain types of depression.

Past history with an antidepressant. If you have history with an antidepressant in the past, then the odds are good that your doctor will try prescribing it again, but only if you had any successful history with it. Your doctor will not likely revisit an antidepressant that was not effective for you in the past. Your doctor may ask you specifically which antidepressant products have or have not worked well for you in the past.

Family considerations with antidepressants. If you have family members with depression, your doctor may look to the medications that have worked for them in the past, and might make a suggestion based on that information. What has worked for a parent or a sibling may also be effective to treat your type of depression as well.

Health issues and antidepressants. Your doctor will also consider any health issues that you may have, and may end up choosing an antidepressant product based on any potential interactions. If you have a health issue that will prevent a certain type of antidepressant from being ideal, let your doctor know so that they can make choices about your depression treatment accordingly. It is important that your antidepressant benefit you without potentially interacting poorly with a medication that you are taking, or an issue with your health.

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The Link Between Diet and Depression

While there is no single dietary change that can treat or prevent depression, some studies have shown that eating the right diet can make a difference. A good diet filled with the right nutrients and variety can help to improve mood and prevent conditions that may worsen depression. The following are some basic guidelines for a diet that can help people suffering with depression.

Antioxidants

Eating a diet rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene may be helpful for people suffering from depression. These nutrients help to prevent free radical damage in the body and can sometimes help you to feel better. Good sources of antioxidants include sweet potatoes, carrots, berries, nuts and seeds, along with many other colorful fruits and vegetables.

Get Enough Protein

Including plenty of sources of protein can help to keep energy levels high, helping people with depression to feel better than they would without enough protein. Giving your body the tools to help itself feel better–like plenty of protein from lean meats, beans, and other sources–is important to overall health. Generally speaking, things that are good for your health will also help to prevent mental illnesses like depression. Some studies have linked the Mediterranean diet, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, as well as lean sources of meat and plenty of healthy fats to a lesser likelihood of developing depression.

Vitamin D and Selenium

Vitamin D can have a huge impact on your well-being. If your depression has ben diagnosed as seasonal affective disorder, or if you often feel better in the summer than in winter, you may be vitamin D deficient. Adding a supplement to your diet may help your moods. Selenium is another important nutrient that has been linked to mood swings and depression. Adding a supplement, or watching your intake from foods, may help.


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Smoking and Mental Health

Tobacco smoke in an Irish pub before a smoking...

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Smoking may increase a person’s likelihood of developing mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety disorders. Recent studies showed that smokers, and even people exposed to large amounts of second-hand smoke, have a much higher rate of mental illness and an increased risk of being admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment as compared to non-smokers.

A study done at University College London looked at 5,560 non-smoking adults and 2,595 smoking adults, all of whom has no history of mental illness or time spent in psychiatric treatment facilities. The two groups were tracked for a six year period to determine whether or not their smoking status would affect their mental health. Subjects were also tested for the presence of certain chemicals to determine their exposure to second-hand smoke and this data was used in the findings.

Close the 15% of the people in the study reported psychological distress during the six year testing period. People exposed to a large amount of second-hand smoke were 62% more likely to experience psychological problems than people who were not exposed to smoke. The findings for smokers themselves were even more dramatic, showing close to a 250% increase in likelihood of psychological issues compared to non-smokers in the study.

41 of the subjects were admitted to psychiatric hospitals during the time period they were being studied. This occurrence was also the highest for smokers, followed by the group exposed to high levels of second hand smoke. Non-smokers had the lowest risk of being admitted.

While the association was strong, further studies will be needed to account for other causes and determine if smoking and exposure to smoke truly causes an increase in mental illness. Past studies have shown that smoking can increase the likelihoods of depression and have a strong impact on peoples’ moods.

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