Anxiety, or extreme apprehension and worry, is a normal reaction to stressful situations. But in some cases, it becomes excessive and can cause sufferers to dread everyday situations. Anxiety disorders include General Anxiety Disorder (a steady anxiety that spans multiple areas of life) Social Anxiety Disorder (an intense fear of being judged or evaluated in public situations), and Panic Attacks (severe episodes of anxiety which create distressing physical symptoms).

Evidence suggests that both biology and environment can contribute to anxiety disorders. Some people may have a genetic predisposition to anxiety; however, this does not make development of the condition inevitable. Early traumatic experiences can also reset the body’s normal fear-processing system so that it is hyper-reactive to stress.

The exaggerated worries and expectations of negative outcomes in unknown situations that typify anxiety are often accompanied by physical symptoms. These include muscle tension, headaches, stomach cramps, shortness of breath, shaking, and racing heart rate. Behavioral therapies, with or without medication to control symptoms, have proved highly effective against anxiety.

If you suffer from panic attacks, obsessive thoughts, unrelenting worries, or an incapacitating phobia, you may have an anxiety disorder. But you don’t have to live with anxiety and fear. Treatment can help, and for many anxiety problems, therapy is a good place to start. Certain types of therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy, are particularly beneficial. These therapies can teach you how to control your anxiety levels, stop worrisome thoughts, conquer your fears, and start living a life that you want to be living.

Millions of Americans a year struggle with depression, an illness that comes in many forms—from major depression and seasonal affective disorder, to dysthymia and bipolar disorder. Depression is an illness that increasingly afflicts people worldwide, interfering with concentration, motivation and many other aspects of everyday functioning. It is a complex disorder, involving many systems of the body, including the immune system. It can disrupt sleep, interfere with appetite, and lead to low motivation and hopelessness.

Everyone experiences an occasional blue mood; depression is a more pervasive experience of repetitive negative rumination, hopeless outlook, and lack of energy. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with depression cannot merely “pull themselves together” and get better.

Even in the most severe cases, depression is highly treatable. The condition is often cyclical, and early treatment may prevent recurrent episodes. Many studies show that the most effective treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy, which addresses problematic thought patterns, with or without the use of antidepressant drugs. In addition, evidence is quickly accumulating that regular mindfulness meditation, on its own or combined with cognitive therapy, can decrease depression by effectively limiting attention on the repetitive negative thoughts that often set in motion the downward spiral of mood.

If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, treatment is available. There is hope.

Eating disorders are serious mental and medical illnesses that can develop from an individual’s complicated relationships with food and/or their bodies. A person may try to control their bodies through exercise, medicine, or diets. Others may use food to soothe painful feelings. Best treatment must address the eating disorder symptoms and medical consequences, as well as psychological, biological, social, and cultural forces that contribute to the eating disorder. Obsessions or anxieties with food, struggles with body shape, compulsive exercise, and/or isolation from friends and family may be signs of an eating disorder. These disorders can affect a person’s physical and mental health; in some cases, they can be life-threatening. But eating disorders can be treated. Widespread misconceptions on eating disorders can keep people from reaching out for help. Eating disorders do not discriminate based on age, gender, race, or body size.. All eating disorders are serious and can be fatal. Eating disorders are not a choice, but recovery is. Recovery success increases with early intervention. For more information on warning signs and symptoms visit:

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/warning-signs-and-symptoms

A negative or unhealthy body image can contribute to low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and influence overall well-being. There are many messages received daily from the media, family, and friends that impact the way we see and treat our bodies. When the mental image of one’s body or one’s attitude toward this image causes distress, a pre-occupation with looks or flaws, and/or interferes with daily function, a therapist may be able to help explore and address these concerns.

Self-esteem is the degree to which one feels confident, valuable, and worthy of respect. A person’s level of self-esteem can influence their overall well-being. Individuals with low self-esteem can feel overwhelming shame, self-doubt, worry, unlovable, and low self-worth. They are highly critical of themselves, and often struggle with taking risks or saying yes to opportunities they care about. Changing these thoughts may feel too difficult on your own, but it is possible with support from a therapist who can guide you to a more realistic sense of self.

Adjusting to change can be difficult, as even positive life transitions tend to cause some stress. Over the course of a lifetime, a person can expect to experience a significant amount of change. Some of these changes, such as going to college, dating, entering the workforce, births, and marriage, are generally positive, although they may be accompanied by their own unique stressors. Other major life transitions, such as moving, break-ups, or loss of a loved one may cause a significant amount of stress. Those who find themselves experiencing difficulty coping with life transitions may find it helpful to speak to a therapist in order to become better able to adjust to changes they cannot control.

Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless living in a unpredictable world. Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can be traumatic, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. While traumatic events can happen to anyone, you’re more likely to be traumatized by an event if you’re already under a heavy stress load, have recently suffered a series of losses, or have been traumatized before.

Emotional and psychological trauma can be caused by:

• One-time events, such as an accident, injury, or violent attack, especially if it was unexpected or happened in childhood.
• Ongoing, relentless stress, such as living in a crime-ridden neighborhood, battling a life-threatening illness or traumatic events that occur repeatedly, such as bullying, domestic violence, or childhood neglect.
• Commonly overlooked causes, such as surgery, the sudden death of someone close, the breakup of a significant relationship, or a humiliating experience, especially if someone was deliberately cruel.

Coping with the trauma of a natural or manmade disaster can present unique challenges—even if you weren’t directly involved in the event. In fact, while it’s highly unlikely any of us will ever be the direct victims of a terrorist attack, plane crash, or mass shooting, for example, we’re all regularly bombarded by horrific images on social media and news sources of those people who have been. Viewing these images over and over can overwhelm your nervous system and create traumatic stress.

Experiencing trauma in childhood can have a severe and long-lasting effect. When childhood trauma is not resolved, a sense of fear and helplessness carries over into adulthood, setting the stage for further trauma. However, even if your trauma happened many years ago, there are steps you can take to overcome the pain, learn to trust and connect to others again, and regain your sense of emotional balance.