Anxiety Depression

Believe it or not anxiety and depression are not the same although one can cause the other. You don't have to be a weak person to suffer from anxiety, depression, or chronic fatigue syndrome, but it certainly helps. Women are about twice as likely as men to seek treatment for these disorders. Some studies show that women actually do suffer certain types of these disorders more than men, while for other conditions, men and women appear to be stricken at the same rate, with women more likely to seek treatment. Either way: don't be surprised if you or someone you know has one of these illnesses. Just look at what the numbers say. An estimated 18 million Americans have severe anxiety, more than 15 percent have had or will have a serious depression at some time in their lives and chronic fatigue syndrome has been estimated to affect as many as 5 million people. Anxiety is a feeling of being a bit hyper and extra on alert. Your heart may race or you may get “butterflies” in your stomach. You may feel short of breath or generally jittery. You're likely to have a feeling of impending danger. These reactions are the way our bodies prepare to cope with stress.

All the senses become tuned up and on alert in the presence of a threat. These reactions derive from the primitive “fight or flight” response that enabled early humans to deal quickly with dangerous situations that they were facing. There are some medicines that specifically treat depression like Prozac, Serzone, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Celexa. These can help with certain forms of chronic anxiety as well as depression, but the best cure for anxiety has yet to be seen. Zoloft is often prescribed for sufferers of depression that expression a great deal of anxiety as well. If you feel anxiety for prolonged periods of time, you should consult a doctor as to the cause.