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Anxiety and
depression are the most common forms of mental illness. They affect
some 35 million Americans every year. Anxiety and depression are
moods that all of us experience from time to time. When that mood
stays with us for days and weeks on end, appears out of nowhere and
interrupts the normal course of our lives, however, anxiety and
depression fall into the category of mental illness.
The physical
symptoms of anxiety are shakiness, muscle aches, sweating, cold and
clammy hands, dizziness, fatigue, racing heart and dry mouth.
Sufferers feel apprehensive, fearing that tragedy is about to befall
them and their loved ones.
It is estimated
that more than 330 million people worldwide suffer from serious
depression, a condition characterized by overwhelming sadness and a
loss of pleasure in everyday activities. It has been estimated that
in 20 years, depression will be outranked only by cardiovascular
disease. In fact, depression has been called ‘the common cold’ of
mental illness. The causes of
anxiety and depression are complex and remain the subject of intense
scientific research. Researchers agree that they are the result of a
combination of genetic, behavioral, developmental and environmental
factors. Much research has been focused on the brain. It appears
that the amygdala, hippocampus, basal ganglia and striatum work in
distinct ways in people who suffer from anxiety and depression. In a
depressed person, neural circuits responsible for the regulation of
moods, thinking, sleep, appetite, and behavior fail to function
properly, and critical neurotransmitters-chemicals used by nerve
cells to communicate-are out of balance.
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