Depression & Anxiety

Depression commonly manifests physically, through stomach pains, headaches, disrupted or excessive sleep, and motor control difficulty. While the causes of depression are unknown, a predisposition for it runs in families and it can be triggered by trauma and adverse life circumstances. Depression is diagnosed more frequently in women and tends to display differently in women than in men.

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People tend to suffer higher rates of depression after giving birth and in late fall. Depression and anxiety often exacerbate each other and people with depression commonly have difficulty concentrating on tasks and conversations. Some people abuse alcohol and drugs or overeat as a way of coping, causing them to develop other medical problems. Depressed people are also at increased risk for self-harm.

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Depression is a mental illness which is characterized by prolonged emotional symptoms including:

• Apathy

• Sadness

• Guilt

• Exhaustion

• Irritability

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Diagnosing depression involves a psychiatric evaluation and physical tests to determine whether a person’s symptoms are actually being caused by a different disorder. A person must have been experiencing symptoms for at least two weeks to be diagnosed with depression. Every case is unique and requires individual attention, but there are a number of effective complementary ways of treating depression, including:

• Talk therapy

• Medication

• Adopting a healthier lifestyle

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Anxiety is a normal part of life.  It can even be useful when it alerts us to danger.  The body’s natural response to danger is to prepare for “fight or “flight”.  For some people, however, anxiety is a persistent problem that interferes with daily activities such as work, school or sleep.  Overtime, untreated anxiety can even lead to health concerns. Distressing impairing anxiety affects approximately 19 million adults in the U.S. One out of every 6 Americans will experience this type of anxiety at some time during their lifetime.

I can help you learn to manage your “highjacked brain” and “decision paralysis” with evidence based techniques in as few as 5-6 sessions.

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