Anxiety/Depression Screening

Causes

• Genetics: Anxiety disorders and depression can run in families. 
• Brain chemistry: Circuits in the brain that control fear and emotions, and chemicals in your brain called neurotransmitters play a part in your mood. When these circuits and chemicals don’t work the way they should, they can cause depression and anxiety.
• Stressful life events, like childhood abuse and neglect, a death of a loved one, or being attacked or seeing violence.  
• Drug and substance withdrawal or misuse.
• Medical conditions: Some heart, lung, and thyroid conditions can cause symptoms similar to anxiety and depression disorders.
• Hormones: Your hormone levels change because of pregnancy, postpartum issues, thyroid problems, menopause, or other reasons.

Symptoms

Symptoms of both conditions usually improve with psychological counseling (psychotherapy), medications, such as antidepressants, or both. Lifestyle changes, such as improving sleep habits, increasing social support, using stress-reduction techniques, or getting regular exercise, also may help.

Anxiety:

• Panic, fear, and uneasiness
• Feelings of panic, doom, or danger
• Sleep
• Not being able to stay calm and still
• Cold, sweaty, numb, or tingling hands or feet
• Shortness of breath
• Breathing faster and more quickly than normal (hyperventilation)
• Heart palpitations
• Dry mouth
• Nausea
• Tense muscles
• Dizziness
• Thinking about a problem over and over again and unable to stop (rumination)
• Inability to concentrate
• Intensely or obsessively avoiding feared objects or places

Depression:

• Depressed mood for most of the day, especially in the morning
• Feeling tired or lacking energy almost every day
• Feeling worthless or guilty almost every day
• Feeling hopeless or pessimistic
• Hard time focusing, remembering details, and making decisions
• Can’t sleep, or sleeping too much, almost every day
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities nearly every day
• Thinking often about death or suicide(not just a fear of death)
• Feeling restless or slowed down
• Change in weight (loss or gain)

Treatment

• Medication: Several types of medications are used to treat anxiety disorders and depression. Antidepressant medications (in combination with therapy) are effective for most people with depression. There are many types of antidepressants. You may have to try several kinds before you find the one that works best for you.
• Counseling or therapy: A trained mental health specialist listens and talks to you about your thoughts and feelings and suggests ways to understand and manage them and your anxiety and/or depression.