Anxiety, or "Stress," May Be Term Paper

Ten percent with the short gene - and who experienced four or more life stresses - accounted for nearly 25% of the 133 cases of depression. The finding could lead to new therapies or diagnostic tests for vulnerability to depression, says Caspi (2003).

Uncontrollable life events may not only lead to depression, but to anxiety disorder as well: "Very often, we find that people have more than one condition -- both depression and anxiety disorder," says Charles Goodstein, MD a professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, with a clinical practice in Tenafly, N.J. "As a matter of fact, it's very hard to find patients who are depressed who don't also have anxiety. it's equally hard to find people with anxiety who don't have some depression." (Davis, 2006)

Sadness, depression, and anxiety are often triggered by life events. Financial pressures, relationships and family problems can trigger this triple response and this may be considered normal, but it is not normal when the feelings become so intense that they keep one from everyday functions, affecting one's quality of life and affecting judgement. (Friis, 2002, p. 243)

Anxiety may be complicated with other disorders, such as bipolar disorder. One of the symptoms of bipolar disorder is anxiety. Charles Goodstein, MD a professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, with a clinical practice in Tenafly, N.J. says "Not only is it difficult to distinguish between anxiety and mania, it is sometimes impossible." The institute notes that a combination of medication and psychotherapy works best to keep bipolar disorder under control over time. (Davis, 2006)

Fifty percent of those who recover from depression relapse within three years. However, there are effective strategies available to help the client stay free from depression. If the stage of depression is identified, the client learns strategies and practices them to keep his or her mind free of anxiety, such as meditation and coping techniques, finding underlying attitudes that contribute to one's depression, deciding on medication and therapy and in using these skills to think realistically, as well as learning to have fun, one can overcome and break the depression cycle. (Bieling, 2003)

References

Barrett, S., and Heubeck, B.G. (2000). Relationships between school hassles and uplifts and anxiety and conduct problems in grades 3 and 4. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 21, 537-554.

Bieling, Peter J., & Antony, Martin M. (2003)Ending the Depression Cycle: a Step-by-Step Guide for Preventing Relapse. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

Bieling, Peter J., Antony, Martin M. (1998). The Stait/Trait Anxiety Inventory, Trait version: Structure and content re-examined. Behaviour Research and Therapy. Vol. 36(7-8) Jul-Aug 1998, 777-788.

Caspi, Avshalom, MD. (2003) Gene Doubles Risk of Depression in Some: People With Certain Gene Variation More Vulnerable to Depression. Science, 92, 310-330.

Davis, J.L., Review of studies by Andrea Fagiolini, MD and Charles Goodstein, MD: Is it really depression? WebMD Medical News. Feb. 3, 2006, 1. Retrieved August 30, 2006, at http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/118/112867.htm?pagenumber=1

Friis, R.H; Wittchen, H.; Pfister, H.; Lieb, R. Life events and changes in the course of depression in young adults. European Psychiatry. Vol. 17(5) Sep 2002, 241-253.

Garnefski, N.; Kraaij, V; Spinhoven, P. Negative life events, cognitive emotion regulation and emotional…