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.