The devastating impact of depression and anxiety on your body

Regular normal life is an amalgamation of joyful moments & bumpy setbacks. Happiness is felt due to optimistic emotions like gratitude, love, care and self-satisfaction. Pessimistic emotions like guilt, jealousy, loss, self-doubt, inferiority & superiority complex bring toxicity & destruction. A fine balance of all types of emotions is the key to leading a conventional life.

Modernization-associated social media addiction, fear of missing out, hyperactive mind, sleeplessness & uncertainties are encouraging self-created inferior complexities and increasing negative feelings induced emotional imbalance. Also, ample technology availability is restricting the wiping of failures and provoking depression and anxiety.

Slowly mental health complications are securing their roots stronger in the  general population, across all age groups. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India is one of the most depressed countries in the world with 36% of Indians likely to suffer from major depression at some point in their lives. Depression ranks 4th among the most common causes of disease burden worldwide (WHO) and is expected to rank 1st in the 2030s. 

Mind health issues are always tabooed, less reported & ignored. They develop without visible symptoms & remain underdiagnosed and leading to an increasing rise in chronic lifestyle diseases. It is crucial to understand mental sickness and be aware of the ways to tackle them. Time-appropriate realization of mental complications is necessary to empower self with suitable interventions.

Effect of depression and anxiety on body systems:

Creates disbalance in the normal functioning of the body. 

Central Nervous and Endocrine Systems- 

Irritability, headaches, insomnia, overreacting, social withdrawal, alcohol and tobacco use. 

The respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular and immune system:

Increased heart rate, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, upset digestive system, short breath, blurred vision, palpitation, dry mouth, choking and weak immunity.

Muscular system:

Tighten muscle, headache, back & shoulder pain 

Reproductive system 

Menstrual irregularity, low sex drive, frequent infections and impotency. 

Cognitive health 

Confusion, lack of concentration, difficulty learning new information and taking decisions 

Personality transformation

Increased aggression, frequent anger outbursts, less interest in appearance, frustration, hostility, impulsivity, lying, poor work performance, obsessiveness and social withdrawal.

What happens when depression and anxiety are combined?

Severe and treatment-resistant, Increased suicide risk and impairment, Lack of concentration and attention, high distraction, diminished memory, indecisiveness and slow thinking ability, More irritability, anger and apprehension. 

Proposed Treatment

Availability of treatment is easy but patients generally don’t get identified and opt for the same. Therapy is normally comprised of antidepressants, infrequent antipsychotics and cognitive behavioural interventions. 

Conclusion: 

Proactive recognition of symptoms, timely investigation and effective treatment may resolve all mental disorders. Simultaneously intensified continuous awareness and education regarding mental illnesses are needed to help patients to speak about their complications without shame and get cured at the earlies. 

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