Download Anxiety and Depression What is Anxiety? Everyone experiences

Anxiety and Depression
What is Anxiety?
Everyone experiences anxiety at some time in their life. In fact, it’s a normal reaction
to what we think is a threat or danger to us. This can be a real threat or an imaginary
one – the feeling of anxiety is the same.
People often become anxious in difficult situations, like taking an exam, moving
house, having an interview or going to the dentist.
These feelings of anxiety usually go away. Sometimes, they can even be useful,
making us more alert and improving our performance. But if these feelings start to
take over and become a big part of our lives – that is a problem.
What causes anxiety?
Lots of different things cause anxiety, and anxiety affects different people in different
ways. For some of us, anxiety starts after a long slow build-up of stress. It can also
start when we do not feel in control of certain aspects of our lives – our health, for
example. This can make us feel anxious about the future in general.
A stressful event like a chest infection or a stay in hospital can cause anxiety. You
might well be worried that it will happen again, for example.
Some medicines can make people feel anxious. And, of course, having a lung
condition can give you symptoms that make you feel anxious too. Sometimes, the
symptoms of lung disease – like tightness in the chest or getting very tired easily –
are similar to feelings of anxiety.
It is not always clear what is causing anxiety. Sometimes, you can just be aware of
feeling anxious all the time. When you cannot understand why you are feeling
anxious, this can create a downward spiral: you can become anxious about feeling
anxious. This makes you more anxious and so on.
Anxiety and Depression
It is not easy to live with a lung condition. As well as experiencing symptoms such as
getting out of breath and coughing, having a lung condition may make you less
active than usual. It can also mean that you don not sleep as well at night. You can
lose interest in food – you may get full more quickly, or you might just get tired when
Author – Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service
Date of issue 2014
Date of review April 2017
Version 2
ID number RESPIRATORY – 001 – Anxiety and Depression – 2012
you eat. These are some of the reasons why people with lung disease can also be
depressed.
Depression is not the same as anxiety. The difference is that anxiety is related to
fear, while depression is related to feeling hopeless. Many people live with both
anxiety and depression.
How does anxiety affect people?
Anxiety affects people in different ways. Recognising symptoms apply to you will
help you deal with them.
Some symptoms of anxiety affect people physically, some affect how people fell or
think. Have a look at the list below. If some of these apply to you, you might be
suffering from anxiety. If you follow some of the suggestions in this booklet then you
should start to feel better and be able to get on with your life.
What are the symptoms of Anxiety?
Anxiety – effects on feelings
Anxiety – effects on the body
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A sense of fear
Unable to concentrate
Irritable
Less patient than you were
Constant worrying
Feeling on edge all the time
Getting very tired easily
Bad sleep
Feeling preoccupied or obsessed with
something
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Tightness in the chest
Chest pain
Nausea
Quick, shallow breathing
Loss of appetite
Butterflies in the stomach
Headaches and dizziness
Tight or aching muscles
Rapid or pounding heart beat
Feeling faint
Sweating
Passing urine a lot
Diarrhoea
Loss of interest in sex
Panic attacks
Wind
Pins and needles, especially in the
hands or around the mouth
Trembling
Author – Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service
Date of issue 2014
Date of review April 2017
Version 2
ID number RESPIRATORY – 001 – Anxiety and Depression – 2012
Panic attacks
Some people have panic attacks. This is when the feelings of anxiety take over. You
feel like you might faint, pass out, be sick or even stop breathing. When this
happens, people often ‘over-breathe’ or hyperventilate. This can be very
uncomfortable and makes the situation worse. Learning to breathe properly can help
with panic attacks.
Techniques for dealing with anxiety
Recognising that there is problem is the first step to dealing with it, even if you do not
know what is causing the problem. Here are some ways of dealing with anxiety:
Talking
Talking to someone about the problem can make it seem more manageable. It may
help if you choose to talk to someone close to you – a friend or a family member. Or
you prefer to talk to someone with a similar lung condition. Most people with anxiety
can be treated by their GP. Sometimes they may suggest that you see a psychiatrist
or psychotherapist, or a member of the community mental health team. These are all
people who can help you get on your way to recovery.
Relaxation
You can try this on your own, or you may prefer to join a group. Relaxation involves
sitting quietly, relaxing the muscles in your body, breathing slowly and deeply and
clearing your mind of all thoughts. There are lots of relaxation tapes and books
available – ask at your local library or bookshop.
Physiotherapy for your breathing can also help. Speak to your GP or nurse about
this.
Exercise
It helps to be active as possible. This will take your mind off your anxious thoughts.
Keeping active will also help to keep you fit and it can help you sleep better. Exercise
can use up the extra adrenaline that comes with anxiety.
Care for yourself
Author – Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service
Date of issue 2014
Date of review April 2017
Version 2
ID number RESPIRATORY – 001 – Anxiety and Depression – 2012
How your lung disease makes you feel is unique to you – only you really know how
you feel. Learn to recognise when you are feeling over-tired or becoming stressed.
Then start one of the above courses of action. It should help.
Diet
Eating a well-balanced diet is important (whether you have a lung disease or not).
For many people, several small meals a day may be better than two or three big
ones, but the content and quality are important.
Alcohol
Too much alcohol might make you feel better for a bit, but it can actually make
anxiety worse – although a small glass of sherry or wine can sometimes help with
your appetite or help you to relax or sleep. It is important not to overdo it.
Saying ‘No’
Learn not to take too much on. Too many demands on your time can increase you
anxiety. When you say ‘no’ you are taking back control of your life.
Complementary therapies
Some people find complementary therapies like hypnosis, massage and
acupuncture useful. But remember not to take any herbal or other remedies without
checking with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Medication for anxiety
Sometimes you can use medication to control your anxiety. Your Gp may prescribe
something called an ‘anxiolytic’, which is to reduce anxiety, or an antidepressant.
Get some help or support
Joining a self-help group can be useful if you want to meet people who share your
experiences. You may have a local breathe easy group near you. You can meet
people with similar lung conditions and perhaps pick up some useful coping
strategies. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Anxiety is more common than you think.
Author – Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service
Date of issue 2014
Date of review April 2017
Version 2
ID number RESPIRATORY – 001 – Anxiety and Depression – 2012
What is Depression?
Depression is a persistent low mood, characterised by feeling bad about yourself
and felling hopeless about the future. It is often associated with chemical changes in
the brain.
Many different factors can trigger depression. For some people, upsetting or
stressful life events such as illness, bereavement, redundancy and worries about
your job or money can be the cause. For some people, learning they have a lung
disease, and trying to learn to live with it, can be a trigger for depression.
Depression can make you less enthusiastic about being involved in your normal
activities and interests – and this in turn adds to your depression.
Quite often, depression is triggered by more than one of these factors, which can
influence and affect each other in complicated ways.
Depression and lung disease
Living with lung disease can make you feel tired all the time, partly because it may
be difficult to sleep. It can be exhausting to eat, and the medications can make food
seem tasteless. You may become so self-conscious about your oxygen or a chronic
cough that you become more reluctant to go out in public. You may have been active
for all of your life and now cannot do the things you once enjoyed. Dealing with these
changes and difficulties can put you at risk of developing depression.
Depression is unpleasant. It can leave you feeling disconnected from your life. You
not only feel bad, but you also have less energy to do the things you want to do,
including taking care of yourself and managing your lung condition.
Depression can also make you feel as if things will never get any better. If you feel
this way, you might feel reluctant to follow the treatment plan for your lung condition,
which can lead to your health getting worse.
Depression is a common problem but it can be treated.
Author – Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service
Date of issue 2014
Date of review April 2017
Version 2
ID number RESPIRATORY – 001 – Anxiety and Depression – 2012
What are the symptoms of depression?
Do you have any of the following symptoms?
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You feel sad more often than not, for several weeks at a time.
Your sleep is disrupted; you wake up early, or your sleep is restless, or you have
difficulty falling asleep.
You are sleeping either much more or much less than usual.
You are less interested in favourite people or activities.
You have less energy and you do not feel like doing anything.
You find it hard to concentrate and solve problems.
You are eating much more or less than usual.
You feel bad about yourself or you feel worthless.
You feel hopeless – that you will never feel better no matter what happens.
You cry much more easily and more often than usual.
You feel irritable with everyone and everything in your life.
You are much more sensitive to criticism than usual.
You feel guilty.
You cannot laugh or enjoy yourself.
You think about suicide, or you wish your life would end.
If you answer yes to five or more items on this list, you may have depression –
please contact your doctor, nurse or health team and talk to them about your
symptoms.
Dealing with depression
One of the symptoms of depression is hopelessness – feeling that nothing can help,
so why bother? In fact, lots of things can help you help fight depression. We will look
at some of the methods to combat depression in more detail later in the booklet, but
the main strategies are:
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Learning techniques such as breathing control to reduce anxiety, which is a
barrier to activity.
Trying to exercise more and stay active. Exercise can trigger the release of a
chemical in the brain called serotonin, which boosts your mood.
Learning to relax.
Eating a well-balanced diet.
Author – Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service
Date of issue 2014
Date of review April 2017
Version 2
ID number RESPIRATORY – 001 – Anxiety and Depression – 2012
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Joining a support group such as breathe easy and discussing your feelings and
concerns. You are not alone.
Taking any antidepressant medicines, as prescribed by your doctor without
skipping any doses or days.
Trying to identify negative thoughts and change them to positive thoughts.
Using a problem-solving approach to deal with stresses and worries.
Ways of coping with depression
Do not keep it to yourself
Talk with someone close to you. Tell them how you feel. It may help to talk to
someone who also has a lung condition.
Breathing techniques
People with lung disease often find their breathing gets difficult when they are upset,
angry or anxious. Worries about breathing can stop people from doing things they
would like to, and this can add to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Breathing
techniques can help overcome feelings of breathlessness and control anxiety.
Do something
Try walking around the house and garden. Get outside, even if only for a short, slow
walk. This will help you to keep physically fit, and you may sleep better. Try to keep
active. This could be housework, walking to the local shop, or any part of your
normal routine. It can help take your mind off painful thoughts which make you more
depressed.
Just doing one thing each day (e.g. going out for the paper, doing the washing up)
can make you feel a lot better about yourself. Think about hen in the day you feel
best (e.g. lunchtime, first thing in the morning), and try to do something then.
Do things you enjoy
Arrange to meet friends, or ask a friend to visit you, even just for a coffee. Phone
someone you have not seen for a while. Cook a simple meal. Starting a new hobby
can also be a good way to meet people, focus your mind and have some fun.
Author – Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service
Date of issue 2014
Date of review April 2017
Version 2
ID number RESPIRATORY – 001 – Anxiety and Depression – 2012
Eat well
Try to eat a good, balanced diet, even though you may not always feel like eating.
Eat small meals more often rather than just three big meals. This can be much more
comfortable for people with a lung condition.
Beware of alcohol
Resist the temptation to drown your sorrows with a drink. Alcohol actually makes
depression worse. It may make you feel better for a few hours, but you will feel
worse again afterwards and it does not mix with antidepressant tablets.
Sleep
Try not to worry about finding it difficult to sleep. It can be helpful to listen to the radio
or watch TV while you are lying down and resting your body, even if you cannot
sleep. If you can occupy your mind in this way, you may find it easier to get off to
sleep.
Keep hopeful
Remind yourself that depression is an illness which many other people have gone
through, and recovered from.
Relaxation
You can help yourself relax using simple techniques like having a bath or making a
warm milky drink. Take time out. It is good to spend some time on yourself. Or try
this quick relaxation technique:
Author – Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service
Date of issue 2014
Date of review April 2017
Version 2
ID number RESPIRATORY – 001 – Anxiety and Depression – 2012