What are anxiety and depression?
Depression and anxiety are common mental health disorders that can negatively impact your mood, relationships with other people, and even your job. Depression is a feeling of sadness or hopelessness, and anxiety involves unrealistic fears or chronic anxiousness.
What causes anxiety and depression?
The cause of anxiety and depression isn’t entirely understood, but it might be due to genetics, your environment, traumatic life events, or combinations of these factors. Your brain chemistry, hormones, and inherited traits play a role in developing mental health disorders.
What are the symptoms of anxiety and depression?
Everybody is different, but if you have depression or anxiety, you might experience the following symptoms:
Depression
- Persistent sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness
- Loss of interest in your favorite activities
- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
- Chronic fatigue
- Irritability, agitation, or anger
- Loss of appetite or eating too much
- Feeling worthless
- Chronic aches and pains
- Thoughts of suicide
Anxiety
- Constant nervousness or being tense
- Restlessness or feeling anxious
- Panic, fear, or doom
- Rapid breathing or increases in heart rate
- Sweating
- Constant worry
- Fatigue
- Sleeping problems
- Avoiding people or situations that trigger anxiousness
- Gastrointestinal problems
While one mental health disorder doesn’t necessarily cause the other, many people with anxiety also suffer from depression.
How are anxiety and depression treated?
Dr. Maddineni reviews your medical history, may order lab tests and asks you a series of questions to determine if you suffer from anxiety or depression. If so, she might recommend one or more of the following treatments:
- Prescription medications
- Herbal or other dietary supplements
- One-on-one or group counseling
- Support groups
- Residential or hospital treatment programs
- Gradual exposure to anxiety triggers
- Stress-relieving therapies, such as massage, acupuncture, or meditation
- Lifestyle changes, such as weight loss or more exercise
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
During ECT, your provider passes electrical currents through the brain for depression relief. TMS uses magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells involved in mood regulation and ease depression symptoms.
Dr. Maddineni recommends the least invasive treatment option first and customizes a plan that best matches your individual needs. Don’t let depression or anxiety impair your quality of life. Call the office of Suneetha Maddineni, MD, for an appointment today, or use the online scheduler.
