Anxiety & Depression

“If I had a dollar for every time they said, “It’s all in your head” or “Just relax and stop worrying so much,” I would be a millionaire. But I would still have horrible anxiety.”
– Anonymous

Anxiety and depression were ruling Sam’s* life.

Sam was tired. Struggling in a world filled with bouts of depression and anxiety had her feeling alone, isolated, and angry.

These feelings would get worse when people in her life did not get it. The way she felt was hard to explain to people who had never known the sheer intensity of serious depression or anxiety.

She thought, “How do I tell people that there is no turnoff switch, no matter how badly she wished there was? How do I explain this feeling like forgetting to do something important but all the time?”

Sam beat herself up for not being productive and not having the energy to do anything. She would then continue to put things off and feel worse about it. She had difficulty sleeping because she was anxious, and then she became anxious about not getting enough sleep.

Sam wondered, “Where do I turn for help?”

Wanting badly to reach out to someone while not wanting to be a bother made her feel nauseous, especially while waiting for a reply or trying to have a conversation.

Sam screamed internally after having an awkward conversation; she relived the experience over and over. And the bouts of depression caused gripping irritability, restlessness, and self-defeating thoughts.

Sam thought, “Anxiety has me feeling on edge, ready to crawl out of my skin as intrusive thoughts keep mocking me, and people keep telling me that how I feel is my choice.”

Anxiety and depression can go hand in hand.

You can think of depression and anxiety as siblings because their symptoms and causes can overlap. Sometimes the symptoms may look different, but many of the intrusive thoughts look similar.

Where else do anxiety and depression overlap? There are physical pains or aches, difficulty sleeping, concentrating, or making decisions, frustration, irritability, restlessness, and difficulty focusing.

People are often so afraid of their anxiety that they may not notice the depression, constantly feeling as if they blur into one.

There are truths that Sam and everyone suffering from the co-morbid disorders of Anxiety and Depression needs to learn.

These truths are…

What people do to make their anxiety go away is the very thing that feeds it and makes it worse.

No matter what people tell themselves, things like “calm down, it’s not a big deal,” “you know it’s ok, so why can’t you stop it,” those suffering from anxiety cannot talk themselves out of feeling it.

There is a connection between our bodies and minds, and anxiety lives in both. Anxious feelings cause sweaty hands and forehead, rapid heartbeat, fast breathing, the tension in the neck and shoulders, redness in the face, and sweat.

So remember, anxiety is not just in your head despite what others say.

Sam found relief for her anxiety.

At the beginning of Sam’s treatment, powerful tools like DBT and CBT proved crucial and effective to help Sam stabilize and manage anxiety daily.

First, Sam learned ways to stop feeding her anxiety, and the intensity of the symptoms decreased. She learned how to communicate with her body so that it understood rather than driving herself mad by telling herself to stop.

Secondly, she learned what to do with those negative intrusive thoughts and embrace how her body was protecting her, doing its best to keep her safe.

Lastly, EMDR helped Sam work on the root causes of her anxiety. Slowly, she identified events from her childhood and adolescent period that were deep-seated and kept her stuck. EMDR helped Sam reprocess the patterns and cycles of her life responsible for her anxiety and depression.

Sam healed, and so can you.

Sam left therapy at peace, feeling a lightness within her mind and body.

Although Sam knows she will experience ups and downs in life, anxiety and depression no longer add extra weight. The wounds of the past are now only scars, and she carries them with pride as proof that she won the battle.

My call to you is to show up and fight for yourself because you, too, can heal.

Remember, there is always a reason someone suffers from anxiety and depression. Think of anxiety and depression as symptoms of an illness – one for which there is a cure.

Stop this never-ending cycle and start healing.

Healing Begins now….

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*Name changed to protect client confidentiality.