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:: Depression & Anxiety
Disease Management - Depression & Anxiety
  Disease Management
  Depression & Anxiety

Everyone feels sad from time to time and tense and anxious at times.  The sadness and other symptoms of depression that are intense and last for long periods of time, can signal clinical depression or major depression, a serious medical illness that needs professional care. 

Types of depression are mostly determined by the intensity of the symptoms, the duration of the symptoms, and the specific cause of the symptoms, if that is known.

Similarly, when panic and anxiety symptoms escalate into anxiety attacks and panic attacks, it may be an anxiety disorder.
 

Signs & Symptoms:

Depression:

  • Feeling deeply sad and hopeless
  • Loss of interest and enjoyment in life
  • Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
  • Major appetite and weight changes
  • Tiredness, loss of energy
  • Trouble concentrating and making decisions
  • Feeling helpless or worthless
  • Feeling restless, irritable and/or agitated
  • Feeling very fragile and on edge
  • Thoughts of suicide or death
  • Problems with sexual function or loff of interest
  • Aches and pains although no physical illness can be found

Anxiety:

  • Feeling irritable, uneasy, or as though you have lost control
  • Not being able to think clearly or concentrate
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • A fear that something dreadful is going to happen
  • A fast heart rate
  • Sweating
  • Heacache
  • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea
  • Trembling, dizzinesS
  • Tense muscles
  • Having difficulty breathing

Symptoms of depression can be similar to those of panic and anxiety and in the past, many people were being diagnosed as having depression, while their primary anxiety disorder remained undiagnosed and untreated.
 

Treatment & Management:

Depression:

Effective treatment is available for depression, depending on the cause of the depression and its severity.  Discuss how you feel with a health professional experienced in depression, or someone you feel comfortable with.  Talking is often the first step in managing depression.

Antidepressent medicines that work to get the brain chemicals back in balance may be prescribed.

Anxiety:

Managing an anxiety disorder involves finding a possible cause and learning how to manage or avoid it.  The four main types of anxiety disorders are:

  • Phobias - an intense fear of a situation or object
  • Panic disorder - sudden attacks of intense fear (panic attacks) that recur.  Some people may also develop agorahobia (fear of places or situations wher a panic attack may occur)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - a person continually thinks about and needs to repeat a task.
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - occurs in people who have been involved in a major trauma.  It can develop long after the event

     

Managing an anxiety disorder involves finding a possible cause and learning how to manage or avoid it.  A doctor and specail counselling can hlep in this process.

Treatment may also involve gradual exposure to the source of anxiety, particularly in phobias and OCD.

Medicines are sometimes used to treat anxiety disorders.
 

More Information:

Beyond Blue - www.beyondblue.org.au
Professional Counselling Australia - www.depression.com.au
The Mood Gym Training Program - www.moodgym.anu.edu.au  
Depression Net - www.depressionet.com.au
Anxiety Treatment Australia - www.anxietyaustralia.com.au
 

Ask Your Pharmacist about:

  • Depression Medication
  • Depression Information & Support

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