|
Stress,
Anxiety and Depression - What is the difference?
Anne Wolski
Looking after your
feelings and emotions is as important as taking care of your body. Most
of us take care of our physical health far better than our feelings.
Stress is a normal
reaction to what is happening in your life, and it can be caused by
good, as well as bad events. A little bit of stress isn't always a bad
thing; but being over-stressed may cause a range of health problems
including headaches, upset stomach, high blood pressure - even strokes
and heart disease.
The changes that commonly
follow a traumatic event can affect your emotional wellbeing and your
ability to cope. If stress is disrupting your life in a bad way, it may
be time to learn new coping skills or to get extra help.
Anxiety is a normal
feeling that everyone experiences in day-to-day life. I can develop more
strongly when faced with something uncertain, difficult, embarrassing or
stressful. Anxiety feelings can range from being mild or moderate to
severe, and can bring on extreme physical symptoms.
If your feelings of
anxiety are causing disruption in your daily life, you may have a more
severe form of anxiety called an anxiety disorder. If this is the case,
you need to seek professional help.
Depression is a common
illness like diabetes or arthritis. Many people suffer from depression
at some stage of their life and it can occur at any age.
A lot of people use the
word ‘depression’ to describe feelings of sadness and loss. These
feelings often pass within a few hours or a few days. During this time,
people are able to carry on much as usual. However, if you feel sad much
more intensely and for longer and your feelings start to interfere with
your work, social life and family life, you may need to seek
professional advice.
There are a number of
symptoms of depression and it’s very rare for all symptoms to occur in
one person all at once. You might feel it come on slowly, from sometimes
feeling blue to deeper feelings more often. It is hard to accept that
symptoms like sleeping badly or feeling worthless are depression. After
all, don’t we all feel that way sometimes? That’s the key – sometimes.
It’s not normal to feel that way for a long time.
There are a variety of
treatments for stress, anxiety and depression available to assist you in
getting through the physical and emotional issues.
To live your life as you
want, and be able to give to your family, friends and work – it’s
important to look after yourself. Don’t be frightened to ask for help if
you need it. We all need someone to talk to at some stage of our life.
Anne Wolski has
worked within the health and welfare industry for more than 30 years. Go
to
www.magnetic-health-online.com
to see many wonderful health articles, many of them written by doctors
and others who have been involved in the health industry for many years.
|
