Depression and Anxiety. Burnout series - post 4

According to NHS uk, Depression affects people in different ways and can cause a wide variety of symptoms. They range from lasting feelings of unhappiness and hopelessness, to losing interest in the things you used to enjoy and feeling very tearful. Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety. There can be physical symptoms too, such as feeling constantly tired, sleeping badly, having no appetite or sex drive, and various aches and pains. The symptoms of depression range from mild to severe. At its mildest, you may simply feel persistently low in spirit, while severe depression can make you feel suicidal, that life is no longer worth living. Most people experience feelings of stress, unhappiness or anxiety during difficult times. A low mood may improve after a short period of time, rather than being a sign of depression. Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe. Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life – for example, you may feel worried and anxious about sitting an exam, or having a medical test or job interview. During times like these, feeling anxious can be perfectly normal. However, some people find it hard to control their worries. Their feelings of anxiety are more constant and can often affect their daily lives. Anxiety is the main symptom of several conditions including: panic disorder, phobias – such as agoraphobia or claustrophobia post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) social anxiety disorder (social phobia) PTSD symptoms include outbursts of anger, insomnia, avoidance, flashbacks and a hyper startle level. According to Bessel Van Der Kolk in his book The body Keeps the score, where they use Yoga as a tool to help PTSD sufferers; ‘Learning how to breathe calmly and remaining in the state of relative physical relaxation, even while accessing painful and horrifying memories, is an essential tool for recovery. When you deliberately take a few slow deep breaths, you will notice the effect of the parasympathetic Break on your arousal. The more you stay focused on your breathing, the more you will benefit, particularly if you pay attention until the very end of the out breath and then wait a moment before you inhale again. As you continue to breathe and notice the moving in and out of your lungs you may think about the role the oxygen plays in nourishing your body and bathing the tissues with the energy you need to feel alive and engaged.’