7 Toxic Habits That Will Hook You to the Anxiety-Depression Loop
Be on the lookout for these.
Genetics and hormonal imbalances can alter the brain structure resulting in mood disorders like anxiety and depression later in life. Other common causes of depression and anxiety are trauma, environment, substance abuse, and clinical factors.
That said, almost everyone gets doses of depression/anxiety. The difference is some people get higher doses than they are superficially engineered to process. To live normal happy lives they must be on some intervention.
Anxiety and depression are two different medical conditions with almost similar causes and symptoms. Sometimes depression results in anxiety and vice versa.
I first heard of depression/anxiety in my early 20s because where I come from mental health is secondary to rabid diseases such as malaria, measles, typhoid, TB, etc.
What we currently refer to as symptoms of anxiety/depression symptoms were, in my childhood, signs you were losing your mind and needed urgent prayers.
A lot has changed in the past 10 years though. We can pinpoint few areas to find psychiatrists although they are mainly sought by persons with extra income to spare.
I have never had any diagnosis for depression/anxiety and wouldn’t want one this late. I think I’m already well equipped to deal with it my way.
Still, I want to share common mistakes we make when dealing with major depressive/anxiety disorders and which, in the end, are counter-productive to managing the conditions.
1. Overthinking
The temptation to follow thought loops is always strong among anxious/depressed persons. Its a double-curse for hyperactive people because cutting off such streams of rapid thoughts is near impossible.
Researchers at UCLA found in a study that thinking is addictive to depressed people. “In comparison to the normal brain,” they said, “a depressed brain forms functional connection but then loses its ability to turn off such connections.”
This explains why we often get trapped in depressive/anxiety cycles after an initial episode. (I have a post for people who constantly worry about death)
What to watch out for;
Try controlling how much you think when depressed/anxious because it will be twice harder for treatments to work after those thought patterns are strongly wired in your brain. Overactive brain circuitry is sometimes subjected to anti-depressants for up to nine months after depression is treated to avoid recurrence according to WebMD.
2. Binge eating
Usually food is a distraction from discomforts of depression/anxiety. Some people crave food a lot while others lose interest from it.
Speaking for myself, whenever I had fits of anxiety I wanted to go on eating even after I had breakfast or lunch. I preferred crispy stuff because the crackly sounds drowned unending thoughts and hysteria which made my heart beat faster.
What to watch out for;
You might gain a lot of weight from binge eating during depression/anxiety so avoid the temptation to indulge. A study on British civil servants, among many other studies, has shown that people having repeat episodes of depression or anxiety are more likely to become obese than non-sufferers.
3. Avoiding outdoors
Social anxiety disorder is common for people having mood issues. Sometimes they prefer familiar environments like indoors and avoid going outside because people and places are triggers.
As a result, they narrow their social reach and sometimes lose friends who don’t understand what they are going through.
What to watch out for;
Do not withdraw too much from people. Social circles are important and can reduce negative feelings of sadness, loneliness, and low self-esteem.
Spending time outside in nature also has immense benefits to stressed and anxious persons. Studies have shown that it improves mood and happiness.
So fight that voice holding you back.
4. Getting angry for no reason (and acting it out)
Depressed/anxious people are emotionally delicate and can be mistaken to be short-tempered when they really aren’t. Sometimes they just can’t avoid getting angry.
In my earlier years I couldn’t figure what was wrong with me. I got angry over small things like people laughing or arguing loudly. I felt violent and struggled to hold myself back. I didn’t like being around people because I thought it was their fault that I felt bad.
What to watch out for;
Watch your temper when you are depressed/anxious. You might lose important relationships or worse be on the wrong side of the law for something you could easily avoid.
5. Avoiding the temptation to cry
Although women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression and attempt suicide, the rate of suicide among men is three or more times that of women.
Both women and men are vulnerable to depression/anxiety but men tend to mask emotions and suffer in silence.
Doctor Coleman O’ Driscoll, a former executive director of operations at Australia’s support organization, Lifeline, attributes the high rates of suicide among men to the narrative that “boys shouldn’t cry” lest they are seen as weak.
Takeaway;
It is confirmed that crying improves the mood of depressed persons and reduce stress. Through crying, we reduce levels of manganese which is known to trigger anxiety, aggression, and nervousness.
You are advised not hold back when overwhelmed with emotions during depression/ anxiety bouts.
You are also warned not to engage your mind in sad narratives when doing this because you may form habits of desperation and crying. Cry freely without dwelling in the sorry state.
6. Becoming clingy
Depression/anxiety marries well with low self-esteem. Your sense of security may lie with someone close to you.
When this sense of security is threatened, you may get angry and try to make them conform to your expectations. Your actual fear is you will have less to live for if abandoned. You may try in your own small ways to keep them interested because you can’t afford to lose them.
What to watch out for;
Clinginess turns people off. Desperate efforts to keep relations working, more than often, causes their end.
7. Following people and doing things you don’t want to
Misery seeks company and victims of depression/anxiety know this best. Sometimes they tend to spend time with cohorts they don’t want to hang around just to feel useful.
What to watch out for;
The company you keep can make you compromise important values. You may be also influenced to do something stupid.
