Some of the emotional symptoms can be:

• Feeling fearful and anxious
• A sense of hopelessness
• All pervasive feelings of guilt
• Being worried about everything
• An inability to enjoy the things that brought pleasure in the past
• Loss of interest in sex
• Being unable to cope with minor tasks
• Overwhelming sadness
• Feeling useless, worthless, incapable and/or unattractive
• Feeling as though nothing will ever be joyful, peaceful or right again
• Distressed to the point of feeling suicidal

As far as depression and anxiety are understood to date, these illnesses can occur as a result of:

• Excessive stress
• Significant life changes
• The experience of difficult circumstances such as the death of a loved one, divorce, severe or chronic illness, current trauma or re-surfaced memory of trauma experienced in the past…..
• Family history of depression and/or anxiety
• Drug and/or alcohol abuse
• Unrealistic and excessive expectations of oneself
• Excessive passivity or dependency
• Hormonal changes (as experienced through adolescence, pregnancy and menopause)
• …or may have no discernible reason at all.

It is most important to understand that anxiety and depression are not signs of intellectual impairedness, lack of character, strength or personal weakness. They are not a 'mood' you can 'just pull yourself out of', but are illnesses that, like any other illness, require appropriate treatment.

Treatment:
The most useful treatments for clinical depression and/or anxiety (as currently understood) are:

The use of medication - GP's assist in identifying appropriate antidepressant medication

Counselling and/or psychotherapy which assists in:

• Identifying anxiety and/or depression triggers
• Normalising the experience of depressive and/or anxiety illness
• Dealing with distressing life experiences
• Discharging locked up emotions
• Managing the illness
• Recapturing a sense of joy
• Challenging unhelpful thoughts
• Managing stress
• Assisting the change in unhelpful behaviours
• Assisting any necessary grieving processes (if applicable)
• Building confidence and self esteem
• Gaining appropriate levels of assertiveness

If you , or someone you care about, is feeling suicidal or may hurt themselves in any way PLEASE CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY OR CONTACT AN ORGANISATION SUCH AS:

(please note: these numbers are for Australia ONLY)

LIFELINE - ph. 131114

Kids Help Line - ph. 1800 551 800
or go to http://www.wesleylifeforce.org and click on links.
( this has international links for emergency support)

Other phone counselling services include :

PEOPLE WHO CARE:
PH: 02 9380 7711

THE SALVATION ARMY:
Outside Sydney or Brisbane 1300 36 36 22
Crisis Line 02 9331 2000
Brisbane metro 07 3831 9016

© Sonja Ridden 2004
You may copy, forward or distribute this article provided it contains the above copyright notice and full contact information.