Understanding Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD
In the United States, 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness every year and 1 in 25 experiences serious mental illness. Among the most common mental health conditions are anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Keep reading to learn more about each condition.
Anxiety
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 40 million adults nationwide.
While anxiety disorders can manifest in many ways, they are all characterized by “persistent, excessive fear or worry in situations that are non-threatening.” Types of anxiety disorders include:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Social anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Phobias
- Agoraphobia
- Selective mutism
- Separation anxiety disorder
- Substance-induced anxiety disorder
Anxiety disorders can come with several physical and emotional symptoms, all of which can be unpleasant and debilitating.
If anxiety is interrupting your daily life, you may need to seek treatment. Sadly, only 36.9% of those suffering get the help they need.
Depression
Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability for Americans aged 15 to 45 and one of the main causes of disability worldwide. More than 17 million adults in the United States, or over 7% of the U.S. population, had at least one major depressive episode in 2018. People with depression may experience “sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, tiredness, and poor concentration.” Sometimes they also suffer from unexplained physical ailments. In many cases, untreated depression leads to suicide, which is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 34. Fortunately, depression can be treated with talk therapy, medication, and/or a combination of the two.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Nearly everyone will experience a traumatic event at some point in their lifetimes. Responses to trauma vary, and for some individuals, the effects of a traumatic incident can be hard to shake. Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, occurs when someone develops long-term symptoms as a result of their trauma. People with PTSD might re-experience what happened to them via nightmares and intrusive memories, avoid reminders of the traumatic event, experience negative thoughts and moods, and/or be hypervigilant and easily scared or angered.
Treatment for PTSD can help you retrain your brain and learn to think about your trauma differently, thus alleviating many symptoms.
Other Common Illnesses
At Tapestry, we treat all of the mental health disorders above, along with other common conditions like bipolar disorder and eating disorders. Sometimes, mental illnesses occur simultaneously, and they affect everyone differently.
That’s why we develop individualized treatment plans for every client who comes to us for help.
If you’re ready to change your life, call the Tapestry team at (828) 490-4032 today. For access to our nurses, dieticians, therapists, and counselors, you can also explore our admissions process and contact us online.
