Common Issues
Depression and Anxiety
Depression and anxiety are different conditions, but they commonly occur together. They are both normal responses to stress and can both cause problems in everyday life. Depression can make us irritable, cause physical health issues such as sleep deprivation or loss of appetite. While anxiety can increase the heart rate, cause panic attacks or hyperventilation.
Common triggers include:
- Work stress or job change
- Change in living arrangements
- Pregnancy and giving birth
- Family and relationship problems
- Major emotional shock following a stressful or traumatic event
- Death or loss of a loved one
Trauma and PTSD
A traumatic event can be witnessed or experienced. For example: an accident, a natural disaster, rape, childbirth, serious injury, war/combat, or violence.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) includes flashbacks, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to the experience. Also, feeling anxious, sad, fearful, angry, having difficulty sleeping or having nightmares or in some cases night terrors. All of these can last a long time after the event.
There is no definitive reason why some people who experience trauma develop PTSD and others do not.