Stress, anxiety or depression? Correct diagnosis and retreatment

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Today we have the honor to invite Aiwen , Let him share with us an article published on the website Yale Medicine The article “Stress, Anxiety, or Depression? Treatment Starts With the Right Diagnosis（ pressure 、 Anxiety or depression ？ Correct diagnosis and treatment ）”.

Don't talk much , Let's take a quick look at what the article says ！

1

introduction

Long before coronavirus injected fear and doubt into daily life , Americans have already felt uneasy . Their sources of stress are diverse ： Rising medical costs 、 Gender or racial discrimination 、 Work ……

Where long-term stress lies , There is also anxiety . According to the National Institute of mental health , about 31% Forty five percent of Americans experience anxiety disorders at some stage of their lives .

Besides , Anxiety is often accompanied by depression . According to the American Association for anxiety and depression , Nearly half of those diagnosed with depression also suffer from anxiety .

It seems that these statistics are not enough to cause concern , But this global pandemic is disrupting daily life in many ways , Causing millions of Americans to lose their jobs , Many problems have also arisen ： When can we live safely ？ Will the children return to school in September ？ Will I lose my job ？ Will I or the person I care about get sick ？

“ My experience through these worries is —— I can't control what happens around me .” Caroline, medical psychologist and director of female health at Yale University .M. Dr Mazur said .

Feeling out of control can lead to stress 、 Anxiety and even depression . Recognizing the differences between them can ensure correct treatment .

2

What is stress

Stress is a physiological response to a situation .

When the brain receives a threat signal , Neurotransmitters, including dopamine and norepinephrine, activate a more primitive part of the brain —— The amygdala , It allows the body to face “ Fight or flight reaction ” Be prepared for the situation .

meanwhile , A lot of chemicals will also defeat the more rational in the brain 、 The higher part —— Prefrontal cortex . The combination of neurons and hormones , This will make your adrenal gland secrete adrenaline and cortisol . When the body is ready to respond to a situation , Your heart beats faster , Breathing will also become shallow . This makes it difficult for you to use the calmer emotions provided by the prefrontal cortex 、 More cautious logic and impulse check to reflect .

Millions of years ago , This complex program saved human lives . today , When faced with daily stressors , It threatens our collective mental health .

therefore , This has become a unique modern problem .

“ In modern society , Individuals are under pressure for a long time ,” Mazur said “ Stress no longer has the initial biological function of warning us , It accompanies us long-term or chronic , And can't get rid of .”

Long term stress can lead to many physical problems , Like a headache 、 constipation 、 diarrhea 、 Chest pain 、 Insomnia and grinding teeth . If there is no control , Stress can increase a person's risk of high blood pressure , heart disease , The risk of diabetes and obesity .

meanwhile , Stress also plays a role in autoimmune diseases . Stress can also cause the immune system to weaken , It makes people more susceptible to colds and other diseases .

So , Mazur offers some suggestions that can be applied to daily life , They can help us block and reduce stress during and after the epidemic , as follows ：

1. Exercise and a balanced diet . Add a walk to your schedule , running , ride on a bicycle , Aerobics or yoga classes , And try to add more fruits to your diet , Vegetables and whole grain food , These changes can help you reduce stress , Improve bad feelings .

2. Set up a schedule . Studies have shown that , A predictable schedule can avoid uncontrolled emotions caused by stress .“ The reality is becoming clearer , This epidemic is unlikely to be resolved quickly ,” Mazur said ,“ We need to create personal plans or schedules , It's good , And make us have a sense of control .”

3. Do something that is meaningful to you personally . One of the core of adaptability is to pursue something in real life . therefore , We should always remind ourselves of what is important , And keep working in that direction .

3

What is anxiety

Anxiety and stress have the same physical and biological elements . The difference between them is , Stress related neurotransmitters and hormones are increasing , Our thoughts are caught in the cycle of thinking caused by repeated worries or panic .

“ Anxiety can be regarded as the normal reaction of people to stress and fear due to unknown factors or perceived danger ,” Assistant professor of psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine , Director of the behavioral health system for Latinos in Connecticut 、 Doctor of psychology Michelle · Alizanza · Silva said ,“ However , When this feeling persists after the threat disappears , And begin to interfere with daily functions and relationships , We should pay attention to this situation in clinic .”

in addition , Silva also explained , Anxiety can also be described as a feeling that one's internal determination and strength are surpassed by external stressors .

Anxiety disorder may be caused by a single cause or the combined influence of multiple factors . The cause of anxiety may be obvious , For example, losing your job 、 house , It may also be difficult to find , For example, traumatic events in the past .

“ Understanding the environment is the key ,” Silva said ,“ I try to make a comprehensive assessment of the patient's current environment and situation , To understand their feelings and experiences in reality . for example , Many of my clients are dealing with sources of stress related to poverty or immigration .”

Silva recommended some techniques to help alleviate anxiety ：

1. Engage in activities that require attention . Repeated anxious thoughts may be fixed on what happened in the past , Or worry about the semi unknown future .“ Anything that can help us live in the present , Such as keeping a diary 、 Paint or practice meditation , Can help interrupt anxiety ,” Silva said .

2. Practice self compassion .“ We all experience anxiety to some extent —— This is a very normal feeling ,” Silva said . She stressed to accept your unhappiness , Instead of judging yourself based on any of your experiences .

3. Seek professional help . Although people still have a serious sense of shame when seeking mental health services , But medical programs and experts can help with various treatments , Including personal or group treatment and some drug treatment .

If the anxiety is particularly serious or lasts for a long time , It may also be intertwined with depression . Although the symptoms of depression may seem to vary from person to person , But they often have a common theme ： Unable to enjoy life .

4

What is depression

Unlike stress and anxiety , People think about the causes of depression 、 Little is known about symptoms and mechanisms . It makes people weak , And it will lead to people's disability in all aspects of life , Including work and interpersonal relationships .

The World Health Organization lists depression as the main cause of global disability . When depressed patients have suicidal thoughts or plans , It can be fatal .

“ In the U.S. , Nearly every year 50,000 People die of suicide , And this proportion seems to be rising ,” Yale University psychiatrist 、 Director of depression research project 、 Gerald, MD · Sanakola said .

Physiological symptoms of depression may include weight loss or gain 、 Poor sleep 、 Physical pain , And speak or act slowly . Its mental symptoms may include persistent sadness 、 despair 、 Anxiety and mental paralysis .

“ If someone feels like a burden , They are less likely to contact others , You may eventually flinch when socializing ,” Silva said ,“ Depression can lead to internal friction and guilt , It hurts one's thinking 、 The ability to concentrate and form memories ,” Dr. Katz said .

In the past decade , Researchers changed their view of depression , It is regarded as a neurotransmitter （ Like serotonin 、 Dopamine and norepinephrine ） The biochemical imbalance has shifted to a broader view of the disease , That is, depression may be caused by neurons in the brain 、 It is caused by the change of potential activity between nerve cells .

“ We don't have one who can let us know whether someone is suffering from depression 、 Imaging studies or biomarkers of what kind of depression you have and why you have depression .” Dr. Katz said ,“ therefore , At present, we diagnose through clinical evaluation and common symptom evaluation questionnaire .”

The inability to determine the root cause of depression means that treatment may be effective for some people , But it also depends on repeated experiments .

“ Unfortunately , We can't cure depression yet . Because we cannot accurately predict which treatment is better ,” Dr. sanakola said ,“ We are approaching , We hope that some of the research currently under way will bring us closer in the next decade , But we haven't done that yet .”

For all that , Prescribe medicine （ Or provide treatment ） Psychiatrists and psychologists or therapists engaged in different types of treatment can provide personalized care for patients , This may be effective for most people .

Silva said , For most people , Professional help is an important or indispensable part of the road to rehabilitation , So she proposed two other ways to temporarily alleviate the disease ：

1. exercise . Many studies point out that , Regular exercise has a strong positive effect on one's mental health .“ Depressed patients often think hard ; Exercise can interrupt it in a short time ,” Silva said .

2. Connect with others . Although in view of the current quarantine policy , This suggestion seems particularly difficult , But we can substitute face-to-face communication by talking with family or friends .

5

Summary

pressure 、 Anxiety and depression are common human experiences . If you are going through this dilemma , Please understand that you can get rid of this dilemma through the support of family and friends or seek advice from professionals , You are not alone .

Then the main content of the article is over , What can you do to overcome anxiety 、 A good way to relieve pressure , Share with us in the comments section ～

reference

Raven, Kathleen. “Stress, Anxiety, or Depression? Treatment Starts with the Right Diagnosis.” Yale Medicine, Yale Medicine, 21 May 2020,

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/stress-anxiety-depression.

author ｜ Irwin

Typesetting ｜Uka

proofreading ｜ Elder sister miaojun Kun Kun