Dealing with anxiety and depression

Recognize Depression and Anxiety

Anxiety and depression are mental illnesses and there are morethan 100 million of people all over the world suffering from these problems. Theseare two distinctive disorders, according to the current medical theory, but manyscientists and doctors believe that they should be considered as two poles ofthe same disorder. A person suffering from anxiety will experience unreasonableworries, irritability and restlessness. Depressive person, on the other hand, isusually pessimistic about the future, losing all of his/hers interests and haslow self-esteem. In many cases, these patients are also very sad. One of thereasons that made scientists believe in the connection between anxiety anddepression is the treatment. In fact, most depressive patients suffer fromanxiety and the treatment recommended for the depression seems to work against anxietyalso. The same goes also in the other direction and anxiety patients,treated for their condition, also show improvement with depression.

Psychotherapy Treatment

Cognitive, behavioral or cognitive-behavioral treatment is usuallythe first line of defense against depression and/or anxiety. Cognitive treatmentswith professional therapists insist on the feeling triggering the mentalproblem of a particular patient. Alteration of the thoughts and feelings thatled to these disorders should enable the patient to deal with his/hers problem.

Behavioral therapy is based upon facing the fears thatcaused depression and anxiety, and desensitizing to that specificsituation.

Cognitive-behavioral treatment combines both of the abovementioned methods and it proved to be very successful for people dealing withpanic attacks.

Depression and Anxiety Medications

Drugs used for treating depression or anxiety can be both synthetic and herbal. Psychotherapist may prescribe anti-depressantmedications, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or beta blockers. Other optionsare herbal remedies, usually from the herbs such as ginseng, garlic, basil,Ginkgo biloba or St. John’s worth. Be careful when using herbs, because some ofthem are known to interact with anti-depressive drugs and cause potential harm.Because of that, always consult your doctor before you decide to use both ofthese drugs for your treatment.

Alternative Therapies

Physical activity, relaxation, meditation, acupuncture, massages,yoga and even hypnotherapy can be very useful for anyone dealing with anxietyand depression.

Regular exercise has proved to prevent depression. Halfof an hour per day, several times per week is everything you need to do to startfeeling better. Deep breathing during meditation or yoga is also verybeneficial and many people that suffered from depression or anxiety found theseactivities to be the perfect solution for their problems.