|
Clinical depression statistics and how to fight it and win
Clinical depression and anxiety are the two most common mental conditions diagnosed in the USA, and quite probably in the rest of the world but there are no studies or statistics to prove that. Simply because worldwide depression and anxiety studies haven't been done.
Depression and anxiety effects can be very harmful and can be very difficult disorders to live with. Unfortunately, most people with anxiety and depression do just that; live with it.
While most studies of the disorders show that more than 75% of people who are clinically depressed don't get treatment and this also applies to 90% of people with anxiety disorders.
This is particularly disturbing, since both anxiety and depression are the most treatable forms of mental disorders. There are a lot of different medications that you can get to treat anxiety and depression and a lot of resources that can help you to recovery from your symptoms.
The two disorders are not yet fully understood, but are definitely related in many ways. People suffering from anxiety are more likely to also suffer from depression than someone without an anxiety condition.
This is also true of people suffering from depression as they are also more likely to also have an anxiety disorder. It's not to surprising that many of the anxiety and depression treatments are similar or even the same.
In the past anxiety disorders have been treated with the use of sedatives. The famous sedative used to treat anxiety is alcohol. However the harmful affects of alcohol prompted a search for other methods. Then came barbiturates as treatment for anxiety after their introduction in 1912.
However it was soon realized that barbiturates have from many of the same problems as alcohol and today benzodiazapines have pretty much replaced barbiturates as an anxiety treatment.
While benzodiazapines are very effective in the treatment of anxiety, they too are highly addictive. They can can actually make the symptoms of depression worse. So if you are worried about addiction, or are suffering from both anxiety and depression, you should avoid using sedatives of any kind to treat your symptoms.
There are drugs that are good for treating some forms of depression, but will actually worsen an anxiety disorder. Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors, such as Wellbutrin, have been shown effective in the treatment of depression, but are not recommended if you also suffer from anxiety.
The SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are medications that are very effective in treating both anxiety and depression. Support groups, therapy, counseling, exercise, and a healthy diet, are all non-pharmaceutical ways of treating both disorders.
You can fight depression and anxiety and not just become another one of the statistics. If you suspect that you suffer from anxiety and depression, or either one, you should see a doctor. Both disorders are highly treatable, but will likely only get worse without taking steps to recover.
|
