Yoga Enriching Your Mind, Body and Soul

Stress, Anxiety and Depression - What is the difference?

Copyright 2005 Anne Wolski

Looking after your feelings and emotions is as important as
taking care of your body. Most of us take care of our
physical health far better than our feelings.

Stress is a normal reaction to what is happening in your
life, and it can be caused by good, as well as bad events.
A little bit of stress isn't always a bad thing; but being
over-stressed may cause a range of health problems
including headaches, upset stomach, high blood pressure -
even strokes and heart disease.

The changes that commonly follow a traumatic event can
affect your emotional wellbeing and your ability to cope.
If stress is disrupting your life in a bad way, it may be
time to learn new coping skills or to get extra help.

Anxiety is a normal feeling that everyone experiences in
day-to-day life. I can develop more strongly when faced
with something uncertain, difficult, embarrassing or
stressful. Anxiety feelings can range from being mild or
moderate to severe, and can bring on extreme physical
symptoms.

If your feelings of anxiety are causing disruption in your
daily life, you may have a more severe form of anxiety
called an anxiety disorder. If this is the case, you need
to seek professional help.

Depression is a common illness like diabetes or arthritis.
Many people suffer from depression at some stage of their
life and it can occur at any age.

A lot of people use the word ‘depression’ to describe
feelings of sadness and loss. These feelings often pass
within a few hours or a few days. During this time, people
are able to carry on much as usual. However, if you feel
sad much more intensely and for longer and your feelings
start to interfere with your work, social life and family
life, you may need to seek professional advice.

There are a number of symptoms of depression and it’s very
rare for all symptoms to occur in one person all at once.
You might feel it come on slowly, from sometimes feeling
blue to deeper feelings more often. It is hard to accept
that symptoms like sleeping badly or feeling worthless are
depression. After all, don’t we all feel that way
sometimes? That’s the key – sometimes. It’s not normal to
feel that way for a long time.

There are a variety of treatments for stress, anxiety and
depression available to assist you in getting through the
physical and emotional issues.

To live your life as you want, and be able to give to your
family, friends and work – it’s important to look after
yourself. Don’t be frightened to ask for help if you need
it. We all need someone to talk to at some stage of our
life.


About the Author:

Anne Wolski has worked within the health and welfare
industry for more than 30 years. Go to
http://www.magnetic-health-online.com to see many wonderful
health articles, many of them written by doctors and others
who have been involved in the health industry for many
years.

posted by Michael Keenan @ 4:17 PM