• Issues

Many people are unclear about the difference between anxiety and depression, since the two feelings often go hand in hand. Dr. David Burns explains that “Depression is the feeling of loss. You feel defeated and discouraged” and anxiety is “the feeling of fear”. In other words, anxiety feels like you are hanging on to a small limb over top of a high mountain and depression is the feeling you get when you hit the ground.

Symptoms of Depressions are:

• Feeling depressed most the day
• Decreased interest or pleasure in most activities
• Change in eating habits
• Change in sleeping patterns
• Loss of energy
• Restlessness
• Feelings of worthlessness, guilt, hopelessness, helplessness
• Problems making decisions and concentrating
• Reccurring thoughts of death

Symptoms of Anxiety include:

• Palpitations, pounding heart, and increased heart rate
• Sweating
• Shaking
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling of choking
• Chest pain
• Nausea
• Feeling dizzy, unsteady, or light-headed
• Fear of losing control
• Fear of dying
• Chills or hot flashes
• Numbness or tingling sensation

Many individuals receive help for their depression and anxiety with medications. They are also helped by learning ways to change the thought patterns and beliefs systems that keep them sick. Sometimes, cognitive therapy and medications are not enough. People can learn ways to cope with their life and feel stable, but sometimes they are still held back from their joy and happiness. The dynamic of an experiential group process gets beneath the outward emotions and allows for healing and rediscovering. The goal is to free a person from the unresolved emotions around their memories so that they are freer to live in the present.