Understanding the signs of depression and anxiety
You’re having a bad day. Again. You’re feeling anxious and nervous, or even sad and hopeless. Everyone has moments of anxiety or sadness, but how do you know what your intermittent feelings of anxiousness or despondency are more than just a series of bad days? How do you know when you’re facing a more serious health issue and should seek treatment? Read on to learn more about anxiety and depression and their symptoms, and then take our brief questionnaire to determine if you should speak to a health care professional.
Mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression impact men and women differently, and for some women, only appear during pregnancy or the postpartum period. Two of the most common issues that women face are anxiety disorder and depressive disorder.
Anxiety Disorder
There are a variety of diagnosable anxiety disorders, including:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Panic disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Social phobia, or social anxiety disorder
It is believed that anxiety disorders can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetics, the environment, psychological factors, and development factors. Unlike the mild levels of nervousness that many people experience when faced with a finite stressful experience, anxiety disorders typically last at least 6 months, with symptoms escalating if untreated. Each anxiety disorder has different symptoms, but all are predicated upon an excessive, irrational fear and dread
Depressive Disorders
Depressive disorders are a more extreme, and interruptive form of the sadness that individuals can experience from time to time. When an individual suffers from depressive disorder, it can interfere with day-to-day functioning. Like anxiety disorder, depressive disorder comes in many forms that span the severity continuum including:<
- Minor depression
- Dysthymic disorder
- Major depressive disorder
- Psychotic depression
- Season affective disorder (SAD)
- Bipolar disorder
Scientists believe that depressive disorders are caused by genetic, biological, chemical, hormonal, environmental, psychological, and social factors. While signs and symptoms vary depending on the diagnosed condition, in general, symptoms of depressive disorder may include:
- Persistent sad, “empty” feelings
- Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or helplessness
- Loss of interest in activities or hobbies
- Fatigue or decreased energy
- Difficulty concentrating
- Insomnia or excessive sleeping
- Overeating or appetite loss
- Suicidal ideation or attempted suicide
- Physical pain in the form of persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems
If you feel that you are experiencing something more than occasional nervousness or despondency and that you may be suffering from anxiety or depressive disorder, complete the questionnaire below.
In the past month, have you (check all that apply):
Experienced repeated feelings of hopelessness or emptiness?
Experienced severe and unexplainable mood swings?
Felt like you are constantly worried about things you cannot control?
Worried about the amount of alcohol you consume on a daily or weekly basis?
Felt more than twice a week like you have little interest in activities, hobbies, work, friends or family?
Had difficulty sleeping more than twice per week?
Felt like you have no energy on most days?
Felt like you are worthless, a failure, or have let down your family, friends, or co-workers?
Had trouble concentrating or remembering details on a daily basis?
Felt like the world would be better off without you, or considered suicide?
If you checked 3 or more of the statements above, make an appointment to speak with your health care provider today. There are many available treatments for mental health disorders, and your physician can properly diagnose your condition and help you find a treatment plan that will work best for you.
Drs. Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello are concerned for the overall health of our patients. We can recommend options and specialists to help you overcome anxiety and/or depression.
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Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to go wrong? Your car won’t start, it starts to rain and you don’t have an umbrella, you forget your coffee or your lunch or you can’t find your keys… of course you have. We all do! But next time your day starts to go wrong, try one or more of these proven ways to boost your mood and make you feel better instantly.
- Turn on Some Tunes. Whether on your car radio or your iPod, put on some music and dance or sing along! (yes, you can dance in the car. Carefully.) A 2003 study in the journal Psychology and Education found that people who listened to music of any kind were instantly happier, calmer and more relaxed. If you’re stressed, music can calm your nerves—literally! It’s the music itself—not the lyrics—that affects mood. So listen to something with an upbeat rhythm and melody.
- Do Unto Others. Try doing something nice for others. Buy a cup of coffee for the person behind you in line at the drive-through, donate to a cause or volunteer your time. Spending as little as $5 on someone else can help you experience increased feelings of satisfaction, according to a 2008 study in the journal Science. And when researchers analyzed 37 studies on volunteering, they found that people who offered their time had a better sense of well-being, were happier with their lives and were less likely to feel sad and anxious.
- Get Outside. Even when the weather is lousy, spend at least five minutes outdoors to help chase your blues away. Appreciate the sun, the snow, the rain or wind, whichever you’re experiencing. And if at all possible, take a quick walk. Research has proved that performing a low-intensity workout outside for even just five minutes can raise your self-esteem and mood levels. Take a walk around the block to calm down and get a positive outlook on life.
- Look Through Pictures That Will Make You Smile. Believe it or not, researchers from the United Kingdom found that looking at happy photos beat out chocolate, wine and watching TV when it comes to lifting your mood. Go through your Facebook feed or go through old photo albums to reminisce over happy times in your life.
- Take a Break From the World. Have you ever meditated or done yoga? If not, try! Sometimes, to boost your mood, you just need a quiet place to breathe. And study after study has shown that meditation can ease anxiety and increase positivity in your mood. Regular yoga practitioners have been found to have higher levels of depression-fighting neurotransmitters. Both practices require you to turn off the outside world to focus on your breaths and your thoughts, which may help you rationalize and rebalance after something has thrown you for a loop.
Chouchani, Sayega and Bagnarello MD cares about your overall health including your mental health. If something feels off or not right, please discuss it with us at your next appointment or make an appointment today.
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After giving birth, you may get the “baby blues” for a week or two. You might experience mood swings, feelings of ambivalence toward motherhood, mild depression, and the tendency to burst into tears for no apparent reason. This stage is probably a result of hormonal changes, the isolation new mothers often feel, residual discomfort or pain, and most certainly lack of sleep! But some women, up to 1 in 7, experience a much more serious mood disorder—postpartum depression (PPD).
Unlike the baby blues, PPD doesn’t go away on its own. It can appear any time, even months, after delivering a baby, and it can last for many weeks or months if left untreated. PPD can affect your ability to take care of your baby, or yourself, or both. And PPD can affect any woman, regardless of health, experience, marital status, income, age, race or ethnicity, culture or education.
What are the warning signs of PPD?
The top 10 signs of postpartum depression include:
- Change in appetite, either an increase or a decrease.
- Change in sleep, whether you can’t fall asleep or stay asleep, or you want to sleep all the time.
- Anxiety, agitation or irritability, including worrying constantly about your baby or being fearful of leaving the house or visiting public places.
- Decrease in energy, concentration, or ability to accomplish tasks. This can include having trouble getting up, out of bed, and going in the morning.
- Loss of interest in activities that you once enjoyed.
- Feelings of guilt or worthlessness, or worrying that you’re not a good parent.
- Inability to care for yourself or your baby.
- Complete lack of libido.
- Negative feelings towards or disinterest in your baby.
- Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby.
If you have any thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, DO NOT WAIT! Contact your healthcare provider IMMEDIATELY!
If you experience one or more of the other signs and symptoms of postpartum depression for two weeks or more, it is time to seek additional help from your obstetrician, midwife, primary healthcare provider or a therapist or social worker
You may need counseling, medication or both. Don’t be embarrassed to seek help! You are not alone, and you are not the only one to have the feelings you’re experiencing.
The doctors at Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello care for our patients before, during and after pregnancy. Your health (including your mental health) is a priority for a happy mom and baby.
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Being a new parent not only means experiencing new joys in your life, but it also adds a heaping pile of new responsibilities. While attempting to schedule appointments and playdates, maintaining responsibilities at work and keeping house and home in order, it can be extremely difficult to fit any time for yourself into an already-packed schedule. However, there are some simple ways to scoop up a few seconds for yourself and restore some serenity to your routine.
Seek out “child-friendly” facilities:
Some stores, gyms and other commercial enterprises offer kid-friendly rooms or babysitting services while their parents shop, workout or accomplish other necessities in a timely and efficient manner. Those few extra minutes of silence and privacy could really help you accomplish all you’re trying to do while still soaking up some personal time.
Most childcare places have a time limit, but just having the chance to absorb the additional ten to 30 minutes of peace can truly restart and refresh your day. Not to mention give you the chance to remember everything you had on your shopping list.
Treat yourself as well as you would treat others
Make sure to treat time you’ve blocked out for yourself like you would treat any other important commitment. Even if you’ve only allocated yourself ten minutes from your busy day, consider those minutes just as precious as if they’re the ten minutes you’ve scheduled for your baby’s doctor appointment, or the five minutes you’re taking to fill up your gas tank.
Just like others are deserving of your time and attention, you’re just as deserving of some valued alone time where you can choose to do whatever you wish and take pride in that decision without feeling guilty.
Read, Write and Listen
After hours of kid’s television, baby talk and nursery rhymes, keeping your brain from feeling like mush might feel like an impossible task. However, keeping a book on hand or an audiobook uploaded to your music player or burned to CDs keeps your mommy mind engaged and on edge while wandering through a stimulating crime fiction novel or best-selling biography.
Keeping a journal, blogging, tweeting or utilizing Pinterest boards and Facebook pages can be a creative and fulfilling way to chronicle your parenting experience while also interacting with other parents and sharing ideas and advice. Some parents also use social media as a way to chronicle their children’s lives, adventures and daily quirks and silliness in hopes that they’ll have a chance to share it with them later.
While posting information about your child on social media can be a difficult judgment call to make, there are ways to protect your online privacy and keep your memories within the family and safe from online strangers, usually made available under the website’s privacy settings.
Stick together
You’re not the first parent to struggle, and you certainly won’t be the last. Find another parent and work out a babysitting schedule so that you’re trading shifts throughout the month. Make a plan so that some nights you have time solely to yourself while your friend watches both children, and other nights you take them both while your friend has time alone to themselves.
Having another parent to talk with and rely on for help and advice can really make the whole parenting adventure less intimidating and, at points, more fun for both of you.
Though being a new parent can be incredibly stressful, there are simple ways to find small moments during the day for relaxation. Taking the time to take care of yourself is not only better for you, but it’s better for your relationship with your child as well. Your baby deserves a happy, healthy mom as much as you deserve time that’s all your own.
Our team of physicians at Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello MD are here to help you stay healthy before, during and after your pregnancy. Check back often for more parenting tips and women’s health tips in the patient education section of the WNY-OBGYN website.
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Understanding the signs of depression and anxiety
