Anxiety and Depression
I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.
– Maya Angelou
Life has been a struggle.
You live in a chronic state of “Fight-or-Flight,” impacting your ability to enjoy life and have relationships. It also has detrimental consequences for your health and overall well-being.
You’re not sleeping and are constantly on high alert and filled with dread of having to go through another day of suffering in this way.
It’s exhausting mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. There is a constant comparison to others and an intense feeling of unworthiness.
The inner critic living in your head is cruel and vicious, and this is a constant battle that typically leads to feelings of depression, anxiety, and hopelessness.
Anxiety is a normal response to fear.
Some anxiety is healthy and helps motivate us to accomplish things and prepare for upcoming situations.
Still, when the anxiety is causing daily distress and making it difficult to function in your life, it is time to reach out for support.
When we feel anxious, we are in a “Fight-or-Flight” response from our Amygdala (the brain’s emotional center) as part of the mammalian brain to keep us safe. It is an unconscious process that promotes survival.
Depression is a heavy burden to carry.
Perhaps you feel like you’re walking around carrying a hefty weight. You have no energy but must carry on and get through the day. You wonder why you’re here? Is your life supposed to be this painful? Is everything supposed to be such a struggle?
Feeling unworthy and fearful of judgment from others makes you isolate yourself. During your free time, you try to check out. Perhaps you’re sleeping, eating, drinking or using drugs, shopping, watching porn, or just numbing yourself out scrolling on your phone. This makes you feel worse because you constantly compare yourself to others and fall short.
You have feelings of worthlessness that determine your mood and behavior, along with self-care and self-compassion or lack thereof. You beat yourself up and, therefore, make you feel even worse. It is a vicious cycle, and you feel trapped. Your sleep patterns are all mixed up, and you have trouble eating or overeating; you have no energy and may be losing or gaining weight and feeling completely disconnected from life. You may even question if the world would be better off without you.
Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand.
Dealing with either or both is exhausting! Depression is bound to set in, as it feels hopeless to live in this way. Isolation also plays a part. Many times, individuals are isolated to attempt to avoid the anxiety triggers, and isolation also occurs as well with depression. There is no quality to your life under these circumstances.
Other people don’t understand, and how could they? Anxiety and depression are not something you can get over or talk yourself out of. When people don’t know what else to say, unfortunately, some well-meaning individuals may say things to minimize your experience. It feels like there is something wrong with you because you can’t find your way out of all of this.
Many complex biological and physiological processes occur with both anxiety and depression. As well as causing immense distress in our lives and making every day a struggle, our health begins to break down over time because of inflammation and a depressed nervous system, amongst many other biological processes that occur in both states.
Many individuals also begin to suffer from chronic pain in the body that is unexplained. These experiences are much more complex than “a chemical imbalance” and need individualistic care.
The mind-body-spirit is one and needs to be explored.
Therapy can help you remember who you are, find your strengths, and remember what you used to enjoy.
Most often, many variables are at play together. We can explore the core issues and work together to retrain your brain to make new, healthy connections.
You can feel empowered with tools to soothe yourself, help you find healing, and live the life you were meant to.
Don’t let anxiety and depression keep you down. Let’s work together to make your life bloom like a beautiful flower. Contact me today, and let’s discuss how I can help.