The Relationship between Trauma, Depression and Anxiety
People often think of trauma, anxiety, panic attacks and depression as four separate “disorders”. Indeed the medical model of psychiatric treatment fosters this way of thinking, but it’s not always accurate. Many time these four separate “disorders” are all expressions of trauma. Anxiety and depression can be intimately linked. How?
Imagine being moderately anxious all day, every day. That takes a lot of energy and can be extremely tiring. One of the symptoms of a trauma survivor is hypervigilance – being “on guard” all the time, being hyperalert to every sound, every movement, every facial expression or body movement of people around you. If this goes on for a long time, it takes its toll and fatigue, mental apathy and other symptoms of depression can result.
Chronic anxiety can also leave one feeling hopeless and helpless, other symptoms of depression. You don’t feel in control of your own life and feel the anxiety is running the show. You feel you are at the mercy of the anxiety. You may even start to avoid places, people and things which provoke anxiety causing your life to get smaller and smaller. This isolating and withdrawing from life can further exacerbate depressive symptoms.
If you experience depression with anxiety, treatment with medications can be fairly easy, or a nightmare, depending on your how attentive your treatment provider is. If you only focus on the depression symptoms you may be prescribed an antidepressant which actually makes the anxiety worse. If you focus solely on the anxiety, you may be prescribed an anxiolytic which can make the depression worse. It’s important to get across to your psychiatrist or medical doctor that you are having symptoms of both. There are antidepressants which lift your depression and lower your anxiety.
It’s also important to be your own best healer. You don’t have to be at the mercy of a doctor or of your symptoms. Educate yourself about your symptoms. Work to maintain good self care. Educate yourself on the effects of proper sleep, nutrition and exercise on depression and anxiety. See also, “Eating for Mental Health“, “The Importance of Sleep for Mental Health“, “Satir’s Mandala: The Components of Happiness“.
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