Stress

Stress can become a serious illness

Stress that is not treated can lead to a serious illness. A person who feels ongoing and unresolved stress may go on to develop an anxiety disorder, which in turn can lead to a depressive illness.

Stress can develop into an anxiety disorder
Almost everyone experiences some anxiety, which is normal. Anxiety disorders are different because they are more severe and can persist and interfere with a person’s daily life. Anxiety disorders can be successfully treated.

Common anxiety disorders are:

     Panic disorder – a condition where a wave of sudden panic overtakes the person for no     apparent reason. The person experiences many physical symptoms. People tend to avoid     situations that they fear might trigger an anxiety attack.
     Specific phobias – fears of particular situations or things: for example, a fear of heights,     open  spaces, spiders, snakes or blood. This also leads to avoiding situations.
    Agoraphobia – fear of a public place, such as a shopping centre or park, or of being away    from a place of ‘safety’ such as one’s home. This is based on a fear that escape from this place    may be impossible and anxiety will become overwhelming.
    Social anxiety disorder – a fear of the scrutiny and judgement of others, and that the    person will behave in a way that is embarrassing or causes others to think negatively of them,    such as when speaking, eating or writing in public.

Other anxiety disorders include:

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) – an uncontrollable urge to repeat a certain behaviour or intrusive thoughts.
    Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – experienced as ongoing distress and intrusive re-living of experiences as ‘flash-backs’ or nightmares months after experiencing or witnessing a very distressing event, such as a disaster, accident, violent death or crime.
    Acute stress disorder – a form of posttraumatic stress disorder that happens soon after experiencing or witnessing a very distressing event, such as a disaster, accident, violent death or crime.
    Generalised anxiety disorder.

Symptoms of anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorders can have a variety of symptoms including:

    Anxiety accompanied by avoidance of particular situations
    Panicky feelings
    Palpitations (pounding heart, accelerated heart rate)
    Sweating
    Trembling or shaking
    Shortness of breath or smothering sensations
    Feelings of choking
    Chest pain or discomfort
    Nausea (upset stomach)
    Feeling dizzy, faint or light headed
    Derealisation (the world feels different and unfamiliar)
    Depersonalisation (the body feels different)
    Fear of losing control or going crazy
    Fear of dying  
    Numbness or tingling sensations
    Hot or cold flushes
    Indecision
    Apprehension and worry.

Ways to treat anxiety
Anxiety is a very treatable condition. There are many different psychological and drug treatment options. Some treatments work for some people and not for others. Treatments need to be individually decided on and regularly reviewed to make sure they are effective. Separately, and in combination, psychotherapy and drug therapy generally produce good results.

Untreated anxiety disorders can lead to depression
Untreated anxiety disorders can lead to serious depression. Depressive illness is common. Australian studies have estimated that 17 per cent of Australians will suffer from depression at some time in their life.

Depression is about twice as common in women as in men. The most common time in life for people to suffer from depression is in their 40s; however, it can develop at any age.

Depression is often associated with an increased incidence of suicide. The annual suicide rate for people with depression is between three and four times higher than that of other psychiatric disorders.

Symptoms of depression
The symptoms of major depression include:

    Depressed mood with overwhelming feelings of sadness and grief
    Loss of interest and pleasure in all or most activities
    Insomnia (inability to sleep) or hypersomnia (constant sleepiness) almost every day
    Significant weight loss (without dieting) or weight gain
    Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
    Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and helplessness
    Inability to concentrate or think, indecisiveness
    Physical symptoms of restlessness or being slowed down
    Recurrent thoughts of death and suicide and, sometimes, suicide attempts.

Different treatments are available
There are many different ways to treat depression. There are also a variety of drugs available. Some treatments work for some people and not for others. Treatments need to be individually decided on and regularly reviewed to make sure they are effective and to minimise side effects of drugs. A combination of psychotherapy and drug therapy generally produces the best results.

Psychological treatments
Psychological treatment for depression include:
    Supportive psychotherapy – dealing with the ‘here and now’, problem solving.
    Cognitive behaviour therapy – changing the way you think and behave.
    Group therapy – working in a group to learn from and share with others.
    Behaviour therapy – altering a particular behaviour.
    Debriefing – going over issues to understand and learn from them.
    Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) – a technique which involves looking     at    an object to change thought patterns and feelings.
    Psychodynamic psychotherapy – psychoanalysis is a form of intensive psychotherapy.
    Counselling.
    Relaxation therapy – for example yoga, meditation or deep breathing.
    Hypnotherapy.

Medical treatments
The available drugs fall into a number of categories:

   Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – for example, fluvoxamine (Luvox), fluoxetine    (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Cipramil) or paroxetine (Aropax).
   Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor – for example, venlafaxine (Efexor).
   5HT2 antagonist – for example, mianserin (Tolvon).
   Reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase – for example, moclobemide (Aurorix).
   Monoamine oxidase inhibitors – for example, phenelzine (Nardil) or tranylcypromine    (Parnate).
   Tricyclic antidepressants - for example, imipramine (Tofranil) or amitriptyline (Saroten).

Where to get help

   Your doctor
   Community mental health service
   Your local hospital
   Psychologist or counsellor
   Lifeline Tel. 131 114
   Kids Helpline (for children aged under 18) Tel. 1800 55 1800
   Suicide Help Line Tel. 1300 651 251
   Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria Tel. (03) 9886 9377
   Mental Health Foundation of Australia (Victoria) Tel. (03) 9427 0406

Things to remember
Untreated stress can lead to a more serious illness.
Anxiety and depression can be treated in a range of ways.
It’s important to get help if you feel you can’t cope.