Nearly 20 million people in the United States are suffering from anxiety and depression at this very moment.  Most people realize they have a problem but choose not to acknowledge it by lying to themselves and rationalizing their feelings as stress caused by work or personal matters.

In order to fully understand why anxiety and depression are quickly turning into an epidemic in this country it is important to look at the whole picture.

How It All Begins

Anxiety itself usually leads to depression.  Most experts agree that anxiety problems develop early in childhood as a result of traumatic childhood experiences or other distressing events.  Most experts also agree that while anxiety is not preventable it is treatable.

Everyone experiences some level of anxiety and depression at some point in their life, but for the 20 million people suffering from it right now, the experience is on an entirely different level.

I liken it to trying to take a nap and being constantly awakened by flies landing on your face.  You continually swat at them to leave you alone, and yet they return just moments later. 

Anxiety is abject worrying that you can’t seem to make go away no matter how hard you try to reassure yourself that everything in your life will be okay.  People who suffer from anxiety don’t just worry about tests and getting a raise or promotion at work.

Yes, their worries do consist of these, but the majorities of their worries cover what seems like very petty things to most people, but are the entire world for those who are suffering.

How petty can they get, you ask?  I had a friend whose anxiety was so bad that on his way to work one morning his low tire pressure light came on in his car and he was forced to stop at a gas station and put air in one of his tires.  He inspected the tire to see if he had picked up a nail, but could find nothing.  He went to work and at lunch time he checked the pressure on all four of his tires and found that they were fine.  For the next month he checked his tire pressure twice a day and could not get into his car without doing a thorough inspection of each one. 

When I asked him why he didn’t just make himself stop doing it, he told me that he wanted to, but the compulsion to keep checking the tires was so strong he could not stop himself.

This was only one of many areas in his life that created anxiety within him, but now you understand just how bad it can be. It does seem ridiculous, and those who suffer from anxiety realize this, yet they are compelled to continue the behavior.

Eventually anxiety leads the sufferer to feel as if something is wrong with them that can’t be fixed, that there is nobody who can help them.  They also fear confessing to anybody that they have a problem because they don’t want to be labeled as “crazy.”  This sense of helplessness is usually what leads to depression.

How to Recognize Anxiety and Depression

You can recognize the signs of anxiety in yourself by looking for the symptoms.  Symptoms include:

• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Difficulty concentrating on the task at hand
• Feeling as if you’re not in control

If any of these symptoms are present for long periods of time, and on a daily basis, then you need help.

You can recognize depression in yourself by paying attention to your thoughts and actions.  People who are suffering from depression generally have the following symptoms:

• Feelings of misery and sadness
• Constant tiredness
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Feelings that life is unfair
• Difficulty thinking
• Antisocial
• Thoughts of death and suicide

Everyone gets down in the dumps occasionally, but if you find yourself in this predicament for two or three weeks at a time, then you need to seek help, especially if you’re contemplating suicide.

How to Overcome Anxiety and Depression

The first step towards finding better mental health is to understand that just because you suffer from anxiety and depression, or both, does not make you crazy.  All too often people never seek treatment because of the societal stigma that anybody who needs to see a psychologist is “crazy.”  You’re not “crazy.”  You’ve just lost your way a little. 

I’m not going to tell you to how to go about finding the right doctor and what medications you might be proscribed to help you get better.  That will be up to you.  There are, however, some effective ways to help alleviate the symptoms mentioned above, which I will share with you.

• Eat healthy
• Take up a hobby
• Get exercise

In general, do things that help you feel better about yourself and occupy your mind so that you don’t have a chance to worry and let yourself get depressed.  Also, it can’t be stressed enough that you should be good to yourself.

Recognize that you’re a good person and that you deserve to live a healthy and happy life.  Forget about society’s stigma and think of yourself for a change.  You only get one life to live.  Don’t waste it by allowing yourself to be plagued by petty and dark thoughts.  Step into the light and take back your life.

For more information about anxiety and depression, as well as treatment options, you can visit the following sources:

http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com/

http://www.stress-anxiety-depression.org/

http://www.depression.com/

About the Author - David Benton is a freelance writer and the sole owner of DM Writing and Editing Services (http://www.dmweservices.com/). He lives in the Central Valley of California with his wife and two dogs. He can be reached at dm42603 [at] aol.com.