Mental health is related to how people act, react, and think in any situation. These days mental health issues are quite common among people. Rather than declining this percentage, it is increasing day by day worldwide. Mental health issues can affect several aspects of life such as relationships, physical health, and daily living. In this case, Mental health specialists may help people with depression, anxiety, stress, and other conditions to conquer the issues. Stress, anxiety, and depression sound normal in the early stage but later it disrupt a person’s health badly. Therefore, it is important to look after mental health for overall wellness. In this article, we will discuss mental health thoroughly including stress, anxiety, and depression.
What is stress?
Stress is a fight or flight mechanism of the body which usually happens when the body isn’t able to deal with a certain situation effectively. Although, it is a natural reaction of the body but can cause serious health problems if it stays for a longer period.
Stress can appear in many forms such as physical, mental, or emotional. Everyone has to deal with stress somewhere in life either due to a job, financial problems, family illness, or other problems. However, not all stress is bad, sometimes it can be a motivator as well to get things done.
There are two types of stress that includes,
Acute Stress – This stress usually occurs for a short period such as during an examination, while performing on a big stage, or in any short time situation which feels difficult for that moment. This type of stress helps the body to get rid of the situation. Also, it goes away after the completion of that event.
Chronic Stress – It occurs when you keep exceeding your stress load for a long leading to affect physical, mental, and emotional health.
What are the Signs and symptoms of stress?
The signs and symptoms of stress include
• Headache
• Difficulty in sleeping
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Digestive issues
• Overeating
• Smoking
• Drinking or taking Drugs
• Irritability
• Restlessness
These are some of the symptoms of stress that we have discussed in the above paragraph. So, reach out to a specialist if you are facing any of these symptoms or struggling with too much stress.
Cause of stress
The cause of stress can be anything and it is not always the same for everyone as what affect you may not affect other. However, the common cause of stress is
• Losing a job
• Relationship issues
• Breakup or Divorce
• Death of loved ones
• Being bullied
• Family problems
• Sexual abuse
• Career issues
• Having a health condition
• Body image issues
The causes are unlimited to count but our body makes certain changes in the respiratory, cardiovascular, hormonal, and nervous system in stress response which is known as a fight or flight response of the body.
How to get rid of Stress?
One cannot avoid stress completely from their life but can get relief from it. There are several ways through which it can be manageable without affecting a person’s health such as
1. Exercise for at least 15-20 minutes every day to boost or lift the mood which results in less stress.
2. Avoid alcohol and tobacco. Although it is considered to relax the mind it increases the anxiety.
3. Meditation or deep breathing helps to calm your mind from chaos.
4. Reduce screen time at night as well as caffeine intake during the day for better sleep.
5. Good nutrition containing fruits and vegetables helps to support our health which eventually lowers stress. So, eat a healthy balanced diet to improve stress levels and overall health.
6. Taking care of yourself is a form of self-love to your body. So, give some time to yourself in a day for your peace of mind. Do what makes you happy such as listening to music, hitting the gym, reading a book, going for a walk, spending time with your friends & loved ones, and many more.
7. Sharing your feelings and problems with your close ones doesn’t make you weak. Therefore, talking is important to let out things from your mind. It even gives you a different direction to think and process things.
Thus, if you are going through stress then follow the above-mentioned ways to get rid of it. But, in case your stress is affecting your daily life then seek the help of a healthcare professional either from a doctor or psychiatric specialist. They will counsel and train you according to your condition to lower stress.
Now, let’s move forward to learn about anxiety.
What is anxiety?
There is a thin line between stress and anxiety which came into play during the fight or flight response. Stress is usually short-term which is evoked due to external triggers. However, anxiety develops when you persistently worry about something. It is the body’s natural response to stress and one may get it with or without any obvious trigger.
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
The symptoms of both stress and anxiety are almost similar such as
• Dizziness
• Nausea and diarrhea
• Anger
• Restlessness
• Changes in appetite
• Loneliness
Other symptoms along with these symptoms are already mentioned in the above paragraph. Additionally, it includes
• Tingling and numbness
• Excessive sweating
• Trouble concentrating
• Brain fog
Getting these symptoms in the short term is completely normal. But if it’s affecting your body for the long term then you must look at it and visit a medical professional as soon as possible.
Causes of Anxiety
There are not any specific causes of anxiety. However, some common causes of anxiety are as follows:
• Ongoing Stress
• Certain medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and so on
• Environment stressors
• Genetics
• Traumatic experiences such as child abuse
• Mental disorders
• Substance misuse
• Situations like surgery
How to deal with the anxiety?
The ways to reduce stress and anxiety are the same as we discussed earlier.
But, some other ways to deal with anxiety are
1. Confronting your fears is the best thing to do to lower the anxiety. Take the difficult situation as it will pass. This gradually helps you to deal with every kind of situation and prevents you from getting anxious.
2. Start writing a journal to showcase your feelings, difficult situations, decisions, and everything that you feel. It gives you a non-judgmental space to share about your life events without any worries.
3. Being social with your friends, family, and loved ones is important to get rid of loneliness. It promotes laughter togetherness thus relieving you from anxiety.
4. Therapy is equally important if the problem is severe. Seek help from healthcare professionals to conquer the issues. One may take certain therapies such as
• Aromatherapy is also one of the ways through which a person can feel relaxed and free from anxiety. The therapy usually takes place in the form of essential oil, candles, and natural scent like chamomile, lavender, and sandalwood.
• Counseling is a form of therapy in which the counselor uses their counseling skills to talk with the patient. This is a short-term therapy that manages stress and anxiety to some extent.
• Other therapies like psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, prolonged exposure therapy, and so on may also help to deal with anxiety.
5. Medications like antidepressants and antianxiety can be used as well to treat anxiety or use supplements like gummies for anxiety under the doctor’s advice.
So, by following the above-mentioned ways, one may get rid of the anxiety. It responds well to the treatment and many people have recovered from anxiety and enjoying their best life now. However, long-term anxiety may lead to serious health issues like mental health conditions, physical illness, and depression.
So, it is important to take care of our health for overall goodness.
We were talking about depression which usually happens due to prolonged stress and anxiety. So, let’s discuss depression widely.
What is depression?
Depression is a common mental disorder that usually occurs due to persistent stress and anxiety. It affects your thinking, way of feeling things, and behaviour which together contribute to several health issues. Depression is not a sign of weakness so one cannot be judged based on it. It takes longer treatment but if someone works continuously on it. Then, it will be resolved with medication and therapies in a very short time.
What are the signs and symptoms of depression?
Depression is a constant state of sadness so one must know the signs and symptoms to relief from it.
Symptoms of depression
• Get easily irritated or frustrated.
• Hypersomnia, or oversleeping
• Always feel low
• Feeling hopeless, worthless, or helpless in life
• No interest in things that used to bring joy
• Always feel guilty
• Lack of energy
• Lose the desire to eat
• Constant thoughts of suicide or death
• Easily get angry
• Stay silent more often
• Change in weight
• Emptiness
These symptoms can be seen by anyone which is not usually a matter of concern. However, if it comes in the cluster form and stays for more than 2 weeks then consult with the specialist or doctor right away.
Causes of depression
There are numerous causes of depression and it’s almost the same as stress and anxiety but the exact causes are unknown. It is usually seen in the teens, and 20s but can occur at any age. So, the factors responsible for depression are
• Hormonal changes during the postpartum period, thyroid problems, or menopause
• Traumatic events which include sexual abuse, or the loss of loved ones
• Medical illness like heart disease, cancer, or stroke
• Different gender identities such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender
• Low level of Vitamin D
• Certain drugs or medicines like hormonal birth control, overuse of sleeping pills, or some high blood pressure medication
• Imbalance of neurotransmitters which is the chemical messenger of the brain
• Low Socioeconomic status
What is the treatment of depression?
Depression is the advanced stage of constant stress and anxiety. So, one needs to get proper treatment for better recovery. Depression can be cured if taken care of properly. Thus, the following measures can help to treat depression. Many of them we already discussed in the above paragraph as the treatment is almost the same as stress and anxiety.
However certain medications that one may take under the supervision of a doctor are
• Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
• Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants
• Atypical antidepressants
Other therapies like electroconvulsive therapy, light therapy, Psychodynamic therapy, Dialectical behavior therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy may also give better results.
However, some lifestyle tips that we talked about earlier in the stress and anxiety section that may help to get rid of depression are
1. Avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs may calm you for a short period but in the long run, it may increase your anxiety and stress levels.
2. Regular Exercise, Meditation, and Yoga improve your mood which leads to lower depression.
3. Take Vitamin B especially B-6 and B-12 and vitamin D. As it is vital for the brain, heart, and bone health.
4. Spend time with your friends and loved ones. They will understand you and help you to get out of the bad situation.
5. Maintain a proper sleep routine. It is because lack of sleep causes an imbalance of hormone which gradually lead to depression.
6. Talk and share your feelings with your close friends to get rid of all the burden that is raising your stress which eventually causes depression.
7. Give time to yourself. Balance your work life and personal life as it is the most common cause of depression nowadays.
8. Include a healthy nutritious diet in your routine as fried and junk food increases the stress hormone.
9. Add essential fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids. It helps in neurological development and brain growth. A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids reduces depression symptoms. One may add supplements of Omega-3 as well in the form of capsules or gummies if the diet is not sufficient such as Vitagoli gummies for stress, anxiety, or depression. It contains DHA which is the type of Omega-3 fatty acid. DHA is docosahexaenoic acid which is the key component of the brain, the retina of the eyes, and other parts of the body.
Arechar’s Vitagoli Pre and probiotics + Algal DHA gummies are dietary supplements that contain enough amount of omega-3 fatty acids i.e. DHA which help you to fight against all brain-related problems whether it’s anxiety, stress, or depression. The presence of omega 3 in the gummies helps to improve the signs of depression so it also known as gummies for depression.
It is also said that every disease starts from the gut so if you have an imbalance of gut microbe then you may feel stressed throughout the day. Delaying the treatment gradually leads to serious health issues such as anxiety or depression. Therefore, having a healthy gut health is equally important for a healthy brain. As Vitagoli contains Algal DHA along with Pre and Probiotics it may help to improve gut issues as well. In this way, Vitagoli Probiotics gummies directly or indirectly help in relieving stress, anxiety, and depression as well.
Above all, it is important to note that the difference between stress, anxiety, and depression can be classified from minor to severe. Whereas, stress usually stays temporarily while anxiety occurs when stress stays for long. However, depression is the last stage of all of the above. So, be conscious about your health and don’t neglect if you see any unusual changes in your body.
