Download Depression & Anxiety in Women

 Women more prone to depression and anxiety than men
 Cause of depression in women are different
 Pattern of symptoms often different
 A serious condition
 Has multiple impacts
 Treatable
 1/8 women will develop depression at some point in
their lifetime
 Nearly twice as likely than men (2:1)
 Most common in women between the ages of 40-59
 Multiple impacts: work, relationships, social life worth
 Causes: reproductive hormones, social
pressure, female response to stress
 Women have higher prevalence rates than men
 Overlap between depression and anxiety
 Often under-recognized and under-treated
 Panic disorder (2:1)
 Social phobia (2:1)
 Agoraphobia (3:1)
 PTSD (10%-14% of women to 5%-6% of men)
 Generalized anxiety disorder (6.6% of women – 3.6% men)
 Major Depression
 Postpartum Depression
 Manic depression or bipolar disorder
 Dysthymic Disorder
 Adjustment Disorders
 Psychotic depression
 Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
 Feelings of sadness, emptiness or unhappiness
 Angry outburts, irritability or frustration
 Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities
 Suicidal thoughts
 Sleep disturbances
 Appetite and weight changes
 Difficulty concentrating
 Lack of energy
 Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
 Fixating on past failures
 Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
 Unexplained physical problems
Women tend to:
 Feel sad, apathetic, and worthless
 Blame themselves
 Feel anxious and scared
 Avoid conflicts at all costs
 Find it easy to talk about self-doubt and despair
 Use food, friends, and “love” to self-medicate
 Feel slowed down and nervous
Men tend to:
 Feel angry and irritable
 Blame others
 Create conflicts
 Feel restless and agitated
 Use alcohol, TV, sports, and sex to self-medicate
 Find it weak to admit self-doubt and despair
 Need to feel in control at all costs
Across racial, ethnic, and economic divides
 Biological and hormonal causes
 Psychological causes
 Social causes
 Women produce more stress hormones than men
 Progesterone prevents the stress hormone system
from turning itself off
 Estrogen interacts with serotonin which regulates
mood, sleep and appetite
 Premenstrual problems (PMS/PMDD)
 Pregnancy and infertility
 Postpartum depression (baby blues to severe
depression to psychotic depression)
 Perimenopause and menopause
 Health problems (chronic illness, injury,
disabilities)
 Focusing on and rehashing negative feelings
 Includes crying, ruminating, and talking to others
 Overwhelming stress at work, school or home
 Body image issues
 Adolescents and girls: body dissatisfaction
 Marital or relationship problems
 Balancing career and home life
 Family responsibilities (children, spouse, ageing
parents)
 Work stress (discrimination, losing, or changing
jobs)
 Persistent money problems
 Death of a loved one
 Any other stressful life event
 Is your depression connected to your menstrual
period and is a possible side effect of PMS?
 Are you pregnant and have complications and
concerns?
 Are you struggling with “baby blues” after giving
birth?
 Are you approaching menopause and dealing
with hormonal and emotional fluctuations?
 Bloating
 1/10 women
 Moodiness
 Severe depression
 Fatigue
 Irritability/mood swings
 Uncomfortable
 Food craving or binge eating
by not disabling
 Physical symptoms
 Exercise
 Diet modifications
 Lower intake of caffeine, alcohol, salt, and fatty food
 Nutritional supplements (vitamine B6, calcium,
magnesium, vitamin E, and tryptophan)
 Herbal remedies (primrose oil, chaste tree berry, maca)
 Stress reduction
 Exercise: a brisk 30 minute walk makes a difference!
 Meditate & yoga: lowers heart rate, blood pressure,
espiratory rate, and oxygen consumption
 Socialize
 Find purpose
 Antidepressants don’t cure rather reduce symptoms
 Different types of anti-depressants affect different
neurotransmitters in slightly different ways
 Choice of medication based on your particular
symptoms
 SSRI’s
 Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
 Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa
 SNRI’s
 Serotonin and norepinephine reuptake inhibitors
 Effexor XR, Pristiq, Cymbalta
 Atypical
Wellbutrin
 Few sexual side effects, may lower appetite, may
help with quitting smoking
 Tricyclic
 Elavil, Aventy, Tofranil
 MAOs
 Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
 Nardil, Parnate
 Be patient
 See if side effects improve
 If it doesn’t work, try something else
 Take it consistently and at the correct dose
 Don’t stop taking it before talking to your doctor first
 Add psychotherapy
 Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
 Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
 SAD lamp
 Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for milder depression
 Combination for moderate to severe depression
 Be there (just listen, hold hands)
 Try a small gesture (a card, a text, cook a meal)
 Don’t judge or criticize
 Avoid the tough love approach
 Don’t minimize their pain
 Avoid offering advice
 Avoid making comparisons
 Learn as much as you can about depression
 Be patient