Depression is one of the most common health conditions in the world today. Most importantly, it’s necessary to remember that depression is not a personal weakness and not something that you can choose to snap out of. Depression affects how we think and behave and can present with a variety of emotional and physical symptoms, such as a loss of interest in daily activities; feeling sad or down; feeling hopeless; frequent crying spells; problems with sleep and appetite (too much or too little of both); trouble concentrating; irritability; restlessness; feeling fatigued or weak; feeling worthless; thoughts of suicide or suicidal behavior; and unexplained physical pains, such as back pain or headaches.

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Anxiety It's normal to feel anxious from time to time, especially if your life is stressful. However, if you have ongoing anxiety that interferes with day-to-day activities and relationships and makes it hard to enjoy life, you may have generalized anxiety disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder has similar symptoms as panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other types of anxiety, but they're all different conditions. Living with generalized anxiety disorder can be a long-term challenge. In many cases, it occurs along with other anxiety or mood disorders. In most cases, generalized anxiety disorder improves with medications or therapy that include lifestyle changes, learning coping skills and using relaxation techniques. 

 

Trauma and traumatic events impact everyone differently. From a one-time event, or a prolonged series of events, trauma impacts the body, the mind and the person. Trauma affects the mind by altering the ability to process clear thoughts and make good decisions. The emotional impact of trauma can leave one feeling the emotions of shame, guilt, fear, anger and pain. Physically, trauma can affect the body with reoccurring sensations associated with the traumatic event and the anxiety or fear of associated memories. Those who live with the long-term impact of trauma are often unaware of what they are experiencing and the extent as to which the effects of trauma have impacted their lives and relationships.