Mental health has been widely overlooked throughout modern times. I mean, things such as anxiety, and depression cannot be measured in a way where we can see depression and anxiety levels. Anxiety and depression has no face. Anxiety and depression wears the faces of many of us, and can hide behind smiles, and loads of success. In other words, the people who look the happiest, and who has achieved the most success can be suffering from anxiety and depression. Our children can be suffering from anxiety and depression. I am going to help us define and identify symptoms of anxiety and depression, and different ways to approach and overcome anxiety and depression. There is no cure in its totality, but we can all fight it together.
Anxiety is something we all have dealt with at one point or another. Some of us deal with anxiety on a daily basis with no known approaches other than prescribed medicines from psychiatrist. Some will describe anxiety as an over amplified feeling of worry. High levels of worry turns in to anxiety. Others may describe anxiety simply as your body’s response to stress. I like to look at anxiety as both. Your body’s response to high levels of stress, and high levels of worry will result to high levels of anxiety. I have been dealing with anxiety since I was a small child. Throughout my childhood, I was not aware of the term anxiety, or depression. I was not able to label my behaviors, or feelings. My body would shut down in various situations where I experienced high levels of stress and worry. I would shut down to the point where I wouldn’t speak to people for days, weeks, and even months. Every time I was around the people who was causing me stress and/or worry, I would shut down immediately. I thought this behavior was normal. This is something I am still healing from.
It Starts with Women
Many of us are dealing with anxiety, and depression, and have been dealing with it from childhood. It’s time to break the curse, and heal ourselves, and our children. Mother’s, did you know that anxiety and depression can be inherited through genes that only you carry? Yes, mothers, you pass down the gene that is inherited by your children that passes on anxiety and depression. We, as a society, have to nurture our women, and help them heal because they give birth to our nation. They are the creators of life. They are the creators of the world. Healing the future from anxiety and depression starts with healing our women.
Another big factor is environment. Many of us grew up, and is currently living through rough, and stressful environments. Many of us have been working very stressful jobs in harsh work environments where we are underpaid, and overworked. These are also major contributors to anxiety and depression. There is an array of factors that contributes to the rise of anxiety and depression.
Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression
If you are having moments of highs and lows, or are having moments where you where you are shutting down or shutting people out, you may be suffering from anxiety or depression. Let’s list some symptoms of anxiety and depression to help you identify with what you could be possibly suffering from.
Anxiety
- If you are constantly nervous, restless or tense
- If you are feeling weak, and a lack of energy
- If you are feeling fearful, and is constantly panicking
- If you are having a strong need to avoid things that triggers your emotions
- If you are performing repetitive behaviors and responses
- If you are having constant negative thoughts, and are fixated on those thoughts and ideas
- If you are experiencing selective mutism
Things that may cause anxiety
- Death of a close friend or family member
- Major life changes
- A stressful living environment, community, or work environment
- Poor eating habits
- Fear and insecurities
- Too much screen time (media, tv and video games)
Depression
- Trouble concentrating, and making decisions
- The feeling of worthlessness
- Major loss of interest in things that once brought you pleasure
- Suicidal or homicidal ideologies
- Restlessness
- Fatigue, or sleeping too much
- Loss of appetite, or overeating
Things that may cause depression
- A major death or loss/rejection
- Major life changes such as change of job, community, school, etc
- Genetics
- Major illnesses
- Poor diet and lack of exercise
- Overstimulating and negative environments (home, work, community, etc)
How to approach anxiety and depression?
Overcoming anxiety and depression is a lifestyle and a lifetime commitment. It’s an everyday fight. There are far more things in our society that causes anxiety and depression than we have to actually help heal them. There are many sacrifices to be made, and we must take full accountability for how we choose to maneuver through life. We must take charge of our own lives. Here is a list of things you can do to help heal yourself from anxiety and depression.
- Read more books on self-development: Reading more books will help you to develop and maintain effective ways to live life, and to develop yourself in to a more positive thinker.
- Surround yourself with more positive people: Having more positive people in your corner will help create a balance in your life. We are surrounded by so much negativity by default. Having positive friends, and family will help you keep positivity flowing in your life.
- See a therapist: Some of us do not have many positive people in our lives. It is great to see a therapist, even if you do not have a huge need to because you will be able to have support in overcoming small issues before they become bigger issues that will cause anxiety and depression. If you are currently suffering from anxiety and depression, having a therapist can help you take accountability, and control the things you can change.
- Eat better and exercise more: Depression is a chemical imbalance in the body. Stress is one of the things that creates that chemical balance. What you put in your body is a major contributor to that chemical imbalance. Many of the foods we eat have chemical in it that causes your body to experience stress because your body is constantly fighting those chemicals. What we eat plays a huge role in how we experience out external world. Exercising helps our body deal with stress. Exercising helps us to regulate ourselves which will result in better responses to stressful situation, and a more positive way of thinking.
- Change your environment: This is so overrated. Sometimes the environment you function is the cause of your anxiety and depression. Having a dysfunctional living environment, and work environment can be cause you to feel low and worthless. Living and operating in messy and unstructured environments can translate in to how you feel about yourself. Being surrounded by negative people will have an effect on how you feel about yourself.
In conclusion, take charge of your life. Your mental health matters. If you need to rid of negative people, do it. If you need a change of environment, do it. We have to be accountable for our own lives. We all deserve happiness. Happiness starts with you. Let me know what you think. I would love to hear some of stories!