depression and anxiety?

Question

depression is something i've lived and coped with for a good 9 years but anxiety is something thats starting to p*** me off! my heart races, my breathing gets heavier, i feel adgitated and worried and cannot relax. WHY!!???!!! what can i do to resolve this.

Answer 1

a helpful article....
Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety...
http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com./before2.htm

Many people who are actually diagnosed as being depressed are
actually suffering from anxiety. The human body is built to deal
with stress in the short term and stress only becomes a problem when
one has forgotten how to deal with it and is unable to switch off.

Anxiety can express itself through a number of different symptoms
including panic attacks, fast pulse, shallow breathing, headaches,
insomnia, irritability, uncontrollable muscle twitches, trembling,
tightness in throat, dry mouth and problems with speech etc.

Most people have suffered some form of panic at some time.
Definitions of a panic attack vary. Learning to use abdominal
breathing as first aid for panic sensations is invaluable.

In order to cope with anxiety and the feelings that go with it, it
is vital to understand the flight and flight response and then to
learn how to keep it under control so that it is kept for situations
where and when the flight or flight response is really required.

It is important to understand that the body still functions in a
very prehistoric way with regard to anxiety. The way the reaction
works is as if we were still being chased by tigers or wolves and
needed to constantly run for our lives.

However, today, most of our problems are about finance,
relationships and jobs. None of these problems are solved by running
for one's life or by standing and fighting.

Quite simply, the brain can not differentiate between a life
threatening danger and a much lessor stress.

The flight or flight response is based on adrenalin, the hormone of
fear.

Adrenalin works by 'prioritising' the blood supply, making sure that
oxygenated blood is available in the arms and legs, for a quick
getaway and also through the brain to help make split second
decisions.

The blood supply is taken from areas where it is not needed in times
of danger such as the stomach and sexual organs, because if one is
in a life threatening situation, they are not going to stop and eat
a meal or have sex. This is why when someone is continually
stressed, they may feel sick, unable to eat and may go off sex.

The body tends to act inappropriately to everyday stresses and
adrenalin production may be unnecessarily initiated in response to a
minor stress.

A chain reaction is then set in motion - one starts to sweat, feel
sick and suffer palpitations and the whole stress response takes
over. One then starts worrying about the way they are feeling and
this then exaggerates their anxiety and a chain reaction then
begins.

When tranquillisers are taken, their effect is to surpress the
body's natural response. This can lead to severe problems, apart
from the adverse/side effects of the drugs themselves.

Firstly, the stress response can be useful at times when we are
presented with real danger but tranquillisers make those taking them
lose this response.

Secondly, the speed of reactions to everyday stimuli can be reduced
as can the reactions necessary for driving and operating machinery
safely.

Thirdly, long term use of tranquillisers causes the surpressed
adrenalin reflex to start to activate again and this results in
rebound anxiety.

Ideally the stress response should switch on and off when necessary.
In
simplistic terms the sympathetic nervous system and the autonomic
nervous system work in conjunction with one's feelings, ie. fear and
the parasympathetic response turns it off and allows the individual
to return to peacefulness again.

However, often the sympathetic symptoms get out of control leaving
the individual in a state of red alert all the time. This situation
is very unhealthy and puts strain on the mind and body and when it
continues
constantly can lead to depression.

A continual stress response puts a strain on the heart and raises
the blood pressure largely due to hormones and chemical reactions
which do not let up as they would in a reacting situation.

It is therefore important to break the vicious circle and learn to
manage one's anxiety successfully.

It is not possible in everyday life to avoid situations which can
cause
one to feel anxious. However, there are a number of sources from
which relief can be obtained and help the individual to control it,
for example, acupuncture, counselling, stress management, regular
exercise etc.

Anxiety management is relatively easy to do and can be carried out
by
everyone. One of the simplest things to do is to learn to breathe
correctly as this helps to reduce adrenalin production.

Generally speaking, we all breathe very shallowly which is a natural
habit that everyone falls into. This shallow breathing can lead to
the
wrong levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen in one's blood. When this
happens, the brain interprets this shallow breathing as an
indication of
danger. One needs to learn to breathe more deeply and to get air
right
down to the bottom of one's lungs. When air reaches this part of
one's
lungs, correct gas exchange occurs.

Correct breathing can be achieved by expanding one's abdomen, then
drawing air into one's lungs. One should then hold this for about
three
seconds. Once the three seconds have passed, one should release
their
breath slowly. One should not feel concerned if they feel slightly
light
headed when carrying out this exercise as this is an indication that
the
gases are at the right levels in the body.

These breathing exercises should be practiced at least three times
an
hour. They can not only act as a preventative measure but also as a
cure
when anxiety strikes. It is shallow breathing which brings on panic
attacks in many different forms and abdominal breathing will help to
control them.

If an anxiety state becomes common in an individual, the cumulative
effect of mood swings, irritability and loss of appetite can soon
create
nutritional deficiencies as a result of altered eating habits.

These deficiencies relate mainly to the B-group vitamins and can
adversely affect the central nervous system which, in turn, can make
the
sufferer's anxiety even worse. Thus, a downward spiral is created.

Food can also play a major role in controlling one's anxiety and one
should eat more green vegetables, raw nuts, low-fat goat cheese,
bananas, and seaweed for their B vitamins; live organic yogurt for
the
bacteria that synthesize B vitamins; blackcurrants, blueberries,
bilberries, cherries and cranberries for their vitamin C and
bioflavonoids;
complex carbohydrates such as pasta, rice and potatoes; honey,and
dried
fruit for their tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid
component of protein. Dried organic milk is also rich in tryptophan
and
one can stir a couple of teaspoons into yogurt, or add it to soups,
sauces, milk shakes and desserts.

A person who is suffering with anxiety should eat less refined sugar
and
fewer simple carbohydrates, drink less alcohol, avoid items
containing
caffeine such as tea, coffee, fizzy drinks and chocolate etc. One
should
also try not to smoke as nicotine is a stimulant and causes the
heart to
beat faster.

The inhalation of smoke can also affect the gas exchange in the
lungs
but it would not be realistic to expect someone who is smoking to to
give it up as it would be even more difficult when someone is
suffering
from anxiety. However, it may be worth trying to cut down, try
smoking a
pipe or a lower tar and nicotine brand. It is also important to take
regular exercise. A ten minute walk may be sufficient although more
vigourous exercise may help to use up excess adrenalin.

Go back to Part 1: Depression & Importance of Adequate Nutrition!

AntidepressantsFacts/ProzacAwareness
Netherlands/United States
Feb, 2 2002



JoAnn Guest
mrsjo-@...
www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets

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Wed Dec 27, 2006 9:53 pm

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Answer 2

Learning to cope with your anxiety will help. There are certain stress relievers or "mantras" you can teach yourself to work through particular stressful situations. Learning to identify what causes your anxiety will also help. If all else fails, there are medications available that can help. My sister has depression and anxiety and she takes medication in addition to talking with a therapist. The first thing I would suggest is talking with your doctor.

Answer 3

Have a doctor check you out for the following:

Hyperinsulinemia (high insulin) - a fasting blood insulin test - if your result is 10 or more then your additional symptoms may be related to the conditions this condition can cause.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) one of the conditions caused by hyperinsulinemia. A fasting glucose tolerance test (5-6 hour) is suggested to test for this condition.

There is some info at www.hufa.org - especially the symptoms link, about low blood sugar and the various physical and emotional problems that can result from it.

Answer 4

Breathing exercises help and stepping away from the anxiety causer. If you have it and can not sleep a short walk before bedtime will help. Also contact your physician, some attacks can get as bad as heart attack symptoms if not treated properly.

Answer 5

Swami Sukhabodhananda
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One youngster comes to me very depressed and asks this question "Why is God creating so many difficulties for us? How to handle stress?" I tell this youngster to reflect on this beautiful story:

A man goes to a shop, picks up a beautiful cup and says "my god this cup is so beautiful" and suddenly the cup starts talking to the man. The cup starts saying "O man, I am beautiful right now, but what was the state of my being before the pot-maker made me a beautiful pot?

Before I was sheer mud and the pot-maker pulled me out of the mud from the mother earth and I felt why that pot-maker is so cruel, he has separated me from mother earth. I felt a tremendous pain. And the pot-maker said, "Just wait." Then he put me and churned me, when I was churned I felt so giddy, so painful, so stressful, I asked the pot-maker "Why are you so cruel?" the pot-maker said, "Just wait." Then he put me into a oven and heated me up, I felt completely burnt. There was tremendous pain and I asked the pot-maker "Why are you so cruel?" and the pot-maker said, "Just wait."

Then he poured hot paint on me and I felt the fume and the pain, I again asked the pot-maker "Why are you so cruel?" and the pot-maker said, "Just wait." Then again he put me into an oven and heated it to make me more strong, I felt life is so painful hence pleaded the pot-maker and the pot-maker said, "Just wait." And after that the pot-maker took me to the mirror and said, "Now look at yourself". And surprisingly I found myself so beautiful.

When god gives us lot of trouble, it appears god is very cruel but we need patience and we have to wait. When bad things happen to good people, they become better and not bitter.

So all difficulties are part of a cosmic design to make us really beautiful. We need patience, we need understanding, we need the commitment to go through in a very calm and wise way. So all difficulties are not to tumble us but to humble us.

With this understanding, let us not be against difficulty. Understand difficulty is a part of a purifying process. A purifying process at present which we cannot understand and hence we need faith and we need trust.

Let us understand how to handle stress with this background. You can be affected by stress from two angles. There is an internal stress and there is an external stress. Nobody can avoid stress; one has to only manage stress. Managing stress can be internal and also external.

The internal stress is; your thoughts can create stress, your values can create stress, and your beliefs can create stress, meaning thereby your stress is coming from your mind more from the outer world. Many people suffer not from heart attack - they suffer from thought-attack.

For example, when somebody says you are an idiot, we get so hurt, we get so victimised. My boss has called me an idiot and I am feeling tremendous pain. Now where does this stress come from? If my boss has called me an idiot, I have to ask myself "am I an idiot"?

If I am an idiot nothing to be upset about; and if I am not an idiot, then also nothing to be upset about! It is the perception of the boss. But why do we suffer from that stress? I suffer not because my boss has called me an idiot but because of the thought-attack.

I may say the boss has called me an idiot; therefore I am suffering? It is true that the words are unpleasant. But what hurts is the interpretation of the unpleasant word. The thought in me interprets. That is pain and therefore it becomes pain. Much of our stress is our mind interpreting it as pain. So we suffer from thought-attack more than heart attack.

Answer 6

zoloft.