Most of us will deal with some level of anxiety and depression in our lifetimes. We will have times where it feels manageable and we move through life even with those symptoms present. There are other times, however, when we may, by no fault of our own, come to realize that our anxiety, depression, or both, have taken too big of a toll on us and we need outside support to regain a solid foothold.
Signs that a person's anxiety may be in need of help by an experienced professional:
Excessive worry is present mostly every day
They feel on-edge and have difficulty concentrating
They have trouble sleeping and are easily fatigued
They describe feeling overwhelmed and are often irritable
Their estimation about how likely a bad thing will happen is not based on every-day chances of it happening
They may experience panic attacks and/or fear of having a panic attack
They may repeatedly avoid certain tasks, places, or situations thinking it will prevent their anxiety or panic
The anxiety is negatively impacting some important aspect of their lives such as work, school, and/or relationships
Signs that a person's depression may be in need of help by an experienced professional:
*For more than two weeks they have experienced many of the following:
They describe feeling down and have little to no energy nearly every day
They report decreased interest in things they used to enjoy regularly
They are sleeping too much or too little
They have significant increases or significant decreases in appetite
They begin to have poor concentration and/or little to no motivation to complete tasks
They have highly negative views of themselves or their situation and/or they have excessive guilt
They may display irritable behavior frequently or barely interact with anyone
They often complain of body aches, stomach pains, headaches
They are having frequent thoughts of death or suicide
*If you think you or a loved one are at risk of self-harm, please contact a crisis hotline immediately, call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room
In many cases, a person's symptoms can be managed through individual, group, or family therapy. In cases where a person's symptoms are more severe, an evaluation by a physician may be indicated. If you have not discussed your symptoms with your doctor, it is important that you do so to rule out any physical causes which may be present.