Symbiosis Emotional Wellbeing

Depression is a common mental illness. It affects our ability to feel pleasure or take interest in activities in our daily lives. Depression is a treatable mental illness. A person may be depressed if they have felt sad, down or miserable most of the time, or lost interest in most of their usual activities for more than two weeks. Depression is not a sign of weakness.
Signs and Symptoms

Pervasive low or irritable mood

Loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities

Change in appetite leading to weight loss or gain

Having trouble with sleep (getting to sleep and/or staying asleep)

Feeling tired most of the time or lacking energy or motivation

Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

Feeling irritable and grumpy

Having pessimistic views of the future

Feeling worthless, helpless and hopeless or even guilty most of the time

Feelings of loneliness

Having thoughts of death

Crying spells

Memory loss

Loss of motivation

Treating Depression:

Most people with depression are able to recover with the right kind of help. There are many possible kinds of treatments like:

Psychotherapy - Most commonly used and evidence based therapy is Cognitive behavior therapy. But there are other therapies as well

Medicine: Antidepressants that have been prescribed after consulting a Psychiatrist

Eating disorders are a mental health condition that are defined by abnormal eating habits that can negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. These might be also associated with anxiety, depressive and substance abuse disorders in addition to existing on their own.
Signs and Symptoms

Eating large amounts of food in short periods of time

Eating very little and thus having low body weight

Eating a lot and then rid themselves of the food either by vomiting or through excretion

Eating non-food items

Regurgitating food

Lack of interest in food

Symptoms of anxiety, depression or the use of substance are also at times common in these disorders

Weakness

Deficiency of vitamins and minerals symptoms

Dental issues

Sensitivity to temperature changes

Reduction in libido

Gastro-intestinal issues

Body image issues
Treating Eating Disorders

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and/or Cognitive Emotional Behaviour Therapy

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

Family Therapy

Behavioural Therapy

Interpersonal Psychotherapy

Arts based therapy

Medication

Self-help and support groups

Psychoanalysis

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by stressful, frightening and distressing situations. Someone with PTSD often relives the traumatic event through nightmares, flashbacks along with other symptoms of hyperarousal, anxiety and avoidance. The symptoms may persist long after the traumatic event and can be severe enough to have an effect on the person's everyday life.
What causes PTSD?? An event where you are seriously injured and fear for your life:

Car accidents

Physical assault

Traumatic Childbirth

Abuse, neglect and Bullying
Signs & Symptoms

Re-experiencing

Flashbacks

Intrusive thoughts or images

Nightmares- distress in thinking about the trauma

Physical memories such as pain, trembling, sweating

Hyperarousal

Constantly aware of threats

Easily startled

Irritable

Easily upset or angry

Difficulty sleeping and concentrating

Avoidance

Memory problems

Keeping busy

Avoiding trauma

Dissociation

Isolation and withdrawal

Using Alcohol and drugs

Being unable to trust anyone

Depression and Anxiety

Headache, dizziness, stomach aches
TREATMENT

Yoga

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Grounding exercises

Antidepressants (if severe PTSD persists)

Sleep Disorders is a condition where the sleep patterns of a person are disturbed. These can get serious enough to hamper with normal physical, mental, social and emotional functioning.
Signs and Symptoms

Grinding and clenching of teeth

Night terrors, sleep walking, involuntary movement of limbs

Difficulty falling/staying asleep with no obvious cause for disturbance

Difficulty in falling asleep

Difficulty in staying constantly asleep/in the REM cycle of sleep through the night.

Wakeful sleep

Waking up earlier than necessary and being unable to go back to sleep

Stops in breathing process while asleep, sleep apnea, snoring

Excessive sleepiness during the day where one falls asleep spontaneously but unwillingly

Sudden and temporary loss of muscle tone while asleep

Bed wetting and/or frequent need to get up and urinate through at night

Acting out violent or traumatic dreams while being asleep

Temporary paralysis before or after sleep; can include hallucinatory symptoms

Fear of falling asleep which have features of anxiety and panic attacks
Treating Sleep Disorders

Behavioural and psychotherapeutic treatment

Rehabilitation and management

Medication

Other somatic treatments

Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental disorder, in which the person suffering experiences unusual and extreme shifts in mood and energy levels.
Signs
People with bipolar disorder experience high energy levels and emotional highs(mania) which alternates with feelings of sadness and dullness(depression).
In mania the person may experience
- Grandiosity
- Elevated mood.
- Very high self-esteem.
- Become more active than usual.
- Less need for sleep.
- Becoming more impulsive.
In depressive periods the person may experience
- Loss of energy.
- Feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness.
- Sadness
- Thoughts of suicide.
- Changes in appetite.
- Becoming more impulsive.
These two extreme poles of highs(mania) and lows(depression) are found in one person; thus the name – bipolar disorder
Treatment for bipolar disorder
Treatment includes medication after consulting a psychiatrist and psychological counselling
The therapies used in psychological counselling include
- Behavioral therapy
- Interpersonal therapy
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
- Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

Anxiety comes in many forms and types but may be as a result of past experiences or sometimes because of one's state of mind and one's brain chemistry. It frequently presents in early adulthood between the ages of 15 and 25 in response to extraordinary stressors or stressful environments.
Anxiety is a sensation of massive stress and panic and can be caused by many circumstances. Symptoms include:

Rapid shallow breathing

Increased heart rate

Extreme stress

Fatigue

Irritability

Changes in sleep patterns

Changes in eating habits

Difficulty concentrating

Uncontrollable thoughts
While anxiety is a complex disorder, there are many possible ways to address the symptoms and causes of it.

Counseling or talk therapy with a trained counselor or psychologist helps to make changes to one's thinking and perspective that can help one cope better as well as to understand themselves better and take on stressors more in line with their capabilities.

Medications can help manage the symptoms and help a person lead a happy, healthy and functional life.

Lifestyle changes and improvements in one's health habits (changes to eating, sleeping and self care) can also improve one's state of mind and reduce anxiety and increase resilience and coping skills as well.
Anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of. Anyone suffering from it is not a danger to others. It is simply a disease like many others. If you, a friend or a family member is in need of assistance, please seek professional help.

RESOURCES - FACTSHEETS