Mood and Anxiety

Many people go through life with a degree of anxiety or mood disorders. For many people, that is their “normal.” For many others, these disorders can be crippling, resulting in a lack of productivity at work or home, other physical ailments, and an inability to deal with the stresses of everyday life.

Anxiety disorders result in fear, concern, or uneasiness, and can manifest in physical symptoms like muscle tension, trouble sleeping, nausea, and diarrhea, affecting someone’s work, school, or social life. These include:

• Generalized anxiety disorder. This is stress that goes on for a period of months and can become very crippling, causing difficulty at home or work;
• Panic disorders. Panic disorders cause panic attacks, which are sudden, strong feelings of fear or anxiety along with physical symptoms like shortness of breath, dizziness, or a pounding heart;
• Social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety is discomfort about what you will say or do in front of people, including speaking, talking, or eating in public;
• Phobias. These are fears of specific circumstances or things – like spiders, heights, death, or open spaces.

Mood disorders can affect someone’s moods, thoughts, and actions, and may include:

• Depression. Sadness or hopelessness;
• Bipolar disorder. Mood changes – severe highs and lows;
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This condition is typically related to changes in the seasons, resulting in shorter days and less sunlight. 

At Tree of Life, we meet clients where they are at in their process. Sometimes, work must be done to prepare for deeper healing. This is why techniques such as mindfulness and meditation to soothe overactive nervous systems may be used prior to approaching in depth healing. Methods from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) may be utilized to provide essential coping skills.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to reach a trained counselor. Use that same number and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.