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Through my own personal struggles, I have learned to live with my disorders in the best way possible. I have an amazing and supportive family. I also have a huge passion for animals ( I currently have 6 pets). On my spare time, I enjoy social gatherings with friends, hiking and traveling.

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I was also diagnosed with Depression in 2012 which most believe go hand in hand with GAD. This is an amazing article to give you an overview of what its like to live with depression.

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If you fail an important examination, lose a loved one or a job, or get dumped in a relationship, it is normal to feel depressed. But if you remain depressed for more than two weeks, long after the event has passed, then you may have a common clinical disorder called depression. Clinical depression, also called major depressive disorder, is characterized by a sad or blue mood that affects nearly every aspect of your life every day - your family and social relationships, your work or school performance, even your desire to do simple things such as exercise or go out with friends.

Depression is much more than just a bad mood, though. Countless people in the throes of depression often feel worthless, lack any appetite, withdraw from friends and family, have difficulty sleeping, and can become agitated or lethargic. Most worrisome of all, people who are depressed can often run a high risk of suicide.

But depression, even though it often feels like it for a person who is depressed, is not the end of the world. It is one of the most well-understood and readily treated and treatable mental disorders. Learning more about this issue is an important and courageous first step toward ending feelings of sadness and depression.

What causes depression?

Like most mental disorders, the causes of depression are largely unknown. Researchers and clinicians theorize that depression is the result of three related factors - biological, psychological and social. No doctor can tell you how much of any single factor is contributing to the diagnosis of depression within an individual. For some people, the biological factors, such as genetics, may be stronger than the other two. For others, it may be caused mainly by a psychological issue, such as one's personality or way of coping with stress.

Theories about biological causes include ideas such as there is a chemical imbalance in the brain, or that some people carry a genetic predisposition to depression based upon certain genes inherited from one's parents. Theories about psychological causes include ideas such as there is an internal dialogue that reinforces our negative beliefs about ourselves or our abilities, or that some people never learn adequate coping skills as they are growing up. Theories about social causes include ideas such as a person may have had difficulty establishing social skills in childhood, or have few or no friends or family connections as an adult.

What are some of the Risk Factors for Depression?

A risk factor is something that may increase your chances of getting depression or another condition. The risk factors for depression include:

Having previous episodes of depression or another mental disorder (such as anxiety, a sleep disorder, or a personality disorder)

Any life-altering or stressful event in your life (including both negative ones, such as the death of a loved one, or positive ones, such as the birth of a child or a wedding)

A family history of depression (or some other mental disorders within your family)

Being a woman or elderly

Chronic illnesss of any kind

Low self-esteem or having no or few friends

Feeling helpless or having little control over a situation in your life

Symptoms of Depression

A person who suffers from a major depressive disorder either have a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities consistently for at least a 2 week period. This mood change affects a person across all aspets of their life - social, work, school and such.
Clinical depression is characterized by the presence of the majority of these symptoms in a person, experienced nearly every day:

Depressed mood most of the day, as indicated by either the person's own feeling (e.g., feeling sad or empty) or as observed by others (e.g., appears tearful). (In children and adolescents, this may be characterized as an irritable mood.)

Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day

Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite

Can't sleep (insomnia) or sleeping too much (hypersomnia)

Can't sit still (psychomotor agitation) or have difficulty with physical movement (psychomotor retardation)

Fatigue or loss of energy

Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt

Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness

Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide

Certain medications or medical conditions can cause symptoms similar to depression, but depression is generally not diagnosed when the symptoms can be traced back to a specific medication or medical condition.

An Overview of Depression

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If you fail an important examination, lose a loved one or a job, or get dumped in a relationship, it is normal to feel depressed. But if you remain depressed for more than two weeks, long after the event has passed, then you may have a common clinical disorder called depression.

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I was diagnosed with GAD, General Anxiety Disorder in 2012. I never understood why being around a crowd of people made me feel so anxious in High School. My heart would race, sweaty hands and all the unpleasant side effects of anxiety. This is an amazing article that gives a great break down of what its like living with anxiety.

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Anxiety is both a mental and physical state of negative expectation. Mentally it is characterized by increased arousal and apprehension tortured into distressing worry, and physically by unpleasant activation of multiple body systems-all to facilitate response to an unknown danger, whether real or imagined.

The cognitive feelings of dread in anticipation of some bad outcome, and physical sensations such as jitteriness and a racing heart are designed for discomfort. Anxiety is meant to capture attention and stimulate you to make necessary changes to protect what you care about. Occasional bouts of anxiety are natural and can even be productive. Anxiety can be considered the price we humans pay for having the ability to imagine the future.
When anxiety becomes a disorder
But persistent, pervasive, or outsize anxiety can disrupt daily life, whether at school, work, or with friends-the mark of an anxiety disorder. Nearly one-third of adults in the U.S. will grapple with out-of-control anxiety at some point in their life.

Anxiety is often accompanied by depression, and the two share many symptoms and involve many of the same brain pathways. Biology can contribute to vulnerability to anxiety, as can childhood experiences such as early trauma and parenting practices such as overprotection.

It is neither possible nor desirable to eliminate anxiety entirely, as it plays a crucial role in keeping us alert and alive. Treatment is geared to keeping anxiety at manageable levels. Anxiety can be treated successfully using therapy, medication, or both. Lifestyle measures, such as regular exercise and deep-breathing, are also extremely important in controlling anxiety.

For more on causes, symptoms, and treatments of anxiety disorders, see our Diagnosis Dictionary.

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Anxiety is both a mental and physical state of negative expectation. Mentally it is characterized by increased arousal and apprehension tortured into distressing worry, and physically by unpleasant activation of multiple body systems-all to facilitate response to an unknown danger, whether real or imagined.

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To me, Psychology is the study of the human mind, behavior and cognitive process. What is so fascinating about psychology, is it is applied to every aspect of ones life, and does not have a simple definition. It is the study of how we think, our actions and behaviors.

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Hello everyone! My name is Stephanie Hartfield I am 26 years old from Long Beach and I have attended Long Beach City College on and off for a few years now. I work Full-Time as a Patient Care Coordinator at Kadence Healthcare in Cypress, ca.