Anxiety
Anxiety consists of varying symptoms including difficulty sleeping, muscle tension, racing thoughts and feeling jittery and is usually accompanied by thoughts worrying about the future. These thoughts have many particular attributes such as being catastrophic (thinking the worst will happen). Different situations can trigger anxiety for different people, such as new and unfamiliar places, crowded and cramped places, or particular stressors in your life. Anxiety can come in many different forms, such as worrying about social situations and what people think of you, worrying about germs or contamination, or worrying about doing things perfectly. Some people experience a generalised form of anxiety where they worry most of the time about most things.
Depression
Depression consists of the symptoms of feeling sad, losing interest in things you used to enjoy, lacking motivation, difficulty sleeping, and fatigue. Depression is usually accompanied by regretful thoughts about the past or hopeless thoughts about the future. These thoughts have many particular attributes such as being black-and-white in nature. Sometimes low mood can be triggered by a major challenge in our lives such as losing a loved one or retiring, but other times it can be the result of many small factors.
Useful Australian-Based Websites
NSW Association for Mental Health
Australian Pain Management Association
National Youth Mental Health Foundation (Headspace)
Youth Suicide Prevention Program (ReachOut)
Crisis Support
Police and ambulance: 000 (24 hours)
Lifeline: 131 114 (24 hours)
Suicide Callback Helpline: 1300 659 467 (24 hours)
Mensline: 1300 789 978 (24 hours)
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800 (24 hours)
For more information on Clinical Psychology, visit WeArePsychology