Have you been feeling down and dull lately? Your mood might be revolving around unrecognized sadness, irritability, and a constant sense of anxiety. It's highly possible that you may have been shaking these feelings off your mind considering it stress or temporary sadness, but have you considered it to be something more? Taking early steps to address these feelings can lead to a healthier and more fulfilling life. You must know the signs of anxiety and depression to further work on your mental health journey.
Let’s explore the signs you may see in yourself of anxiety and depression with a particular focus on the Internal Family System (IFS) approach to address these emotions effectively.
What os Internal Family Systems (IFS) Tterapy?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a form of psychotherapy which treats the mind as having ‘parts’, which can be seen as different aspects of personality, or separable thoughts, beliefs, feelings, or memories. When it comes to working with anxiety and depression, the IFS approach understands and integrates these components so that an individual can reach a healthier state of mind. This is especially helpful to people with major depressive disorder with anxious distress (MDD with anxious distress), which is a condition of having severe anxiety and depression. We cover all of these flows in-depth in our understanding internal family systems ifs a comprehensive guide.
Recognizing symbols of anxiety
Anxiety leaves its signs in many ways, from emotional and behavioural to even physical signs. Some common symbols of anxiety include:
Physical symptoms:
Rapid heartbeat
Sweating
chest pain
difficulty breathing
Emotional symptoms:
Experiencing racing thoughts
A persistent sense of dread
Worried expressions
Experiencing frequent bouts of unexplained fear, such as why do I feel sad and scared for no reason?
Behavioral symptoms:
Avoidance of social situations
Compulsive behaviors
Restlessness
Signs of anxiety in men may be exhibited differently, such as through irritability or aggression.
Recognizing signs of depression
Depression and depression with anxious distress sometimes become difficult to identify. Some of the common signs are:
Physical symptoms:
Fatigue
Changes in appetite
Sleep disturbances
Depressed eyes vs normal eyes often look different, even though it’s subtle. Still, it is a telling sign— people with depression have a vacant, dull gaze, often referred to as depression eyes or depressed eyes.
Emotional symptoms:
Persistent sadness
Hopelessness
Feelings of worthlessness.
People with major depressive disorder with anxious distress may experience these symptoms alongside intense anxiety.
Behavioral symptoms:
Withdrawal from social activities
A lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities
Slowed speech or movements.
Examples of negative thoughts in depression include thoughts of guilt, shame, and self-blame.
Your mental health is as important as your physical health, let’s work recognizing these symptoms of anxiety and depression together before they grow into harming you. Remember that the above mentioned symptoms are not the only ones, as mental health issues act differently for everyone. Evaluate your behavior and be open to seeking help when it's needed.
Connecting IFS with neurodiversity
Autistic or ADHD individuals will likely have a different experience with anxiety and depression. IFS can be especially helpful for neurodiverse individuals since it is based on the idea that every person has different “parts” in his/her psyche that cause mental health problems.
For instance, a neurodiverse person might have a part that easily gets anxious when exposed to a lot of stimuli or a part that gets depressed in social gatherings. In this case, these parts can be validated, and the source of distress can be explored by the use of IFS.
Read more; How Can Internal Family Systems Be the Best Therapy for Anxiety in Neurodivergent Individuals?
When to seek medication
The decision to choose the right medication for anxiety and depression might be a difficult one most of the time. To know whether one requires medication for anxiety and depression, one must consider the intensity and duration of the problem. If your symptoms are consistent with daily chest pain and panic attacks, or else feel you are struggling to manage the symptoms, then it is time to consult with your doctor on the medication to be taken.
Signs you are recovering from anxiety and depression
Recovery is a gradual process, and it requires patience, commitment and willpower resilience to achieve it. Following are some signs you are recovering from anxiety:
Your racing thoughts aren’t that frequent
Your sleep feels satisfactory
Return of interest in activities you once enjoyed
You are allowing real emotions, gaining more self-acceptance
Noticing these positive changes is a sign that your treatment, whether through IFS, medication, or other therapies, is working.
Conclusion
To seek support for any mental health challenges, you must be able to recognize the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Whether you in anxious distress, MDD with anxious distress, or just feeling overwhelmed by life, learning about your symptoms and finding out that treatments like Internal Family System can truly make a positive difference in your life.
If you require professional assistance for managing your depression or anxiety, Luna psychotherapy can help you. We use various approaches for therapy like IFS, EFIt, Adlerien Therapy, or many others tailored to what suits your mental state. Contact us for an appointment to get started on your road to a brighter future today.
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