Depression and Anxiety; What are they? How can they be recognized? What can be done to help?

The following information was given by professionals from LDS Family Services. My parents suggested that I come with them to a seminar they held for church leaders. I will probably attach my own comments as I remember what struck me in parentheses and Italics. And I will write it as close to how I actually said it to help give the information some life :)

What is Depression?
-Depression is a persistent depressed mood that doesn't go away like ordinary sadness
and/or
-Loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities

Related Symptoms include:
-Change in appetite or body weight
-Difficulty sleeping, or oversleeping (check, I have difficulty sleeping. Not to mention my nightmares!)
-Physical slowing or agitation (check, I am normally a very self-motivated person. But this time around I have the hardest time keeping my own room clean. Even though I told it the other day that I thought it was old enough to keep itself clean. It got super dirty after that; out of spite, I believe.)
-Loss of energy (yep)
-Feelings of guilt, worthlessness (Bleh. Those feelings are prevalent. Especially guilt.)
-Difficulty concentrating (on occasion...)
-Thoughts of death or suicide

Depressed mood vs. depression as a disease: All people experience episodes of sadness and disappointment, it's a normal reaction to difficult experiences. However, major depression may not seem to be directly linked to life circumstances. Feelings of depression, guilt, and hopelessness are out of proportion to actual problems (again, with the guilt!). Depression is persistent, lasting for months rather than days.

What is Anxiety?
-A feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, and feelings of stress
and/or
-A real or imagined imbalance between the demands on a person the person's ability to meet those demands.

Related symptoms:
-Trembling/Nervousness
-Muscle tension
-Headaches
-Insomnia/sleeping too much
-Shortness of Breath
-Racing Heart, chest discomfort (?? wait a second...that's been happening lately, too. Do I have anxiety as well?)
-Nausea, dizziness

Stress vs. Anxiety Disorder: Feeling pressure or stress is a normal response to change or difficult situations. May be an adaptive, motivating thing. Generalized anxiety may not always be associated with a trigger. It manifests itself through physical symptoms and there are a variety of disorders: Panic, OCD, PTSD. It may be paralyzing, rather than motivating.

In a aWard of 400 (based on NIMH estimates) 2 children, 3-4 adolescents, 9-10 adult men and 16-17 adult women experience depressive illness each year. (wow, that's a lot of people. My singles ward has about 200 young adults...that must mean that 7-8 other girls in my ward would be suffering from depression, too. Is that right? I hate math.)

Causes of Depression and Anxiety: Biology, Personality traits, Hormones, Long-term stress, Medicine, Illness, Major life events. (darn biology. My mom, grandma and great-grandma have all had severe depression.)


a. Name of a geographic area whose inhabitants are assigned to attend a specific building at a specific time. A very small ward is called a branch. Several wards and branches make up a stake. A bishop is put in charge of a ward.