A Candid Look into Anxiety and Depression

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Navigating the stormy seas of anxiety and depression is no small feat, and as I open up about my personal journey with generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks, I invite you to find solace and understanding in our shared experiences. This Mental Health Month, I'm taking a moment to peel back the layers on what it means to live with these conditions, how they affect over 40 million adults worldwide, and the crucial need to prioritize our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. 

Throughout the episode, I explore the nuances of generalized anxiety disorder, the crushing weight of social anxiety, and the sudden onslaught of panic attacks. By sharing my story and the latest research, we illuminate the often misunderstood symptoms and struggles that accompany these mental health challenges. We together acknowledge the unrelenting intensity of these disorders and emphasize the importance of support and management strategies to maintain balance in the midst of life's chaos. Join me as we embrace the importance of mental health and empower one another to navigate the silent storms within.

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Episode Transcript

Shannon D Martin (00:00):
Hello, beautiful Welcome to today's
conversation.
In honor of Mental Health Month, I want to have conversations
on a couple of topics that Ihope will keep us on top of how
we look at our mental wellnessand our mental health.
For today's episode, I want totalk about what is anxiety and
depression?
They affect so many of us todaythat I thought we should have a

(00:23):
brief conversation about them.
Let's talk about them.
I am your host, Shannon Martin,and welcome to today's episode
of this Thing Called Wellness.
Hello and welcome back.
I hope you are doing well.
Can you believe it's Mayalready, my goodness gracious,
and May is the month of mentalhealth awareness.

(00:47):
As I was thinking of a coupletopics to talk about, I realized
I never really talked aboutwhat mental health is and what
the meaning of anxiety anddepression is.
I haven't discussed itmedically or anything to be
honest, probably because I'm nota medical professional anything
to be honest.
Probably because I'm not amedical professional, but I am a

(01:09):
specialist somewhat on thediagnosis, in a roundabout way.
I have continued to researchwhat it is and how they both
affect me daily.
I am always learning and tryingto stay in touch with how I am
feeling and what's going on withme emotionally.
Today, over 40 million adultsin the world are affected by

(01:29):
anxiety and depression.
That's a staggering number.
Whether you're experiencing ityourself or have loved ones who
struggle, understanding anxietyand depression is so important.
Mental health is the state ofour emotional, psychological and
social well-being.

(01:50):
It affects how we think, feeland act, influencing our ability
to handle stress, buildrelationships and make choices.
So having good mental health islike having a positive outlook
on our lives right and beingable to cope with life
challenges.
But having poor mental healthcan lead to anxiety, depression

(02:13):
and other mental issues.
So let's talk about it brieflyand how we can get help and
prioritize our mental well-being.
You probably felt it at somepoint in life, like that nervous
feeling before a big test orjob review.
But when does it go from beinga normal response to stress to

(02:36):
something more serious?
Anxiety becomes a disorder whenit starts to take over your
life.
You might find yourselfworrying all the time, even
about little things.
Or maybe you avoid places orsituations because you're afraid
of feeling anxious.
For me, I avoid highwaysbecause all of the traffic sends

(02:57):
me over the edge.
I really have to prepare myselfmentally to drive, so I have to
find alternate routes on sideroads or back roads that doesn't
have too many lanes or too manycars, because I have had panic
attacks and I had to pull overto take medication while I was
driving.
Panic attacks if you ever hadone, you know how intense they

(03:21):
can be my heart was racing, myhands were shaking, I couldn't
breathe.
It was extremely scary,especially when you're driving
and with mine.
I have fine tremors, whichmeans I shake uncontrollably.
So I have to really make sure Icarry medication at all times
and focus on staying as calm asI can in any situation.

(03:47):
There are several types ofanxiety disorders, but I would
touch on the three because theyaffect me the most and maybe the
most well-known, right.
They are generalized anxietydisorder, which involves
excessive worry that isdifficult to control and has
symptoms such as muscle tension,fatigue and restlessness.
Difficult to control and hassymptoms such as muscle tension,

(04:08):
fatigue and restlessness.
Social anxiety disorder, whichis an intense fear of being
judged or embarrassed in public.
And panic disorder, where youhave recurring episodes of panic
attacks.
These attacks can happensuddenly.
You know where your heart isracing, you're sweating and
you're experiencing theshortness of breath.

(04:30):
Right, and the reason why Ifocus on those three is because
I am diagnosed with generalizedanxiety disorder, or GAD, with a
touch of panic disorder.
I know it's confusing andsometimes my counselor wonders

(04:56):
if I may be developing some kindof social anxiety because of my
ability to withdraw.
But I'm doing my best not to bediagnosed with anything else.
All of these, if left unmanaged,can really take a toll on your
life.
They can show up anywhere, atany time, under any
circumstances, no matter how bigor how small.
It is very hard to explain topeople who have never known

(05:18):
serious depression or anxietythe sheer, continuous intensity
of it.
There is no off switch, MattHaig.
Depression it's more than justfeeling down or having a bad day
.
It's like a cloud that justwon't lift.
You might lose interest inthings you used to enjoy or feel

(05:39):
tired all the time, even aftera full night's sleep.
It's just not feelingtemporarily sad or down, but
that constant feeling ofemptiness and hopelessness that
doesn't go away.
Depression can make you feelguilty or worthless, and it can

(06:00):
affect your body too by changingyour appetite to where you may
want to eat more or not eat atall.
It affects your sleep patterns.
I may have insomnia one nightand some nights I may sleep too
much.
You just never know what kindof rest or unrest you will have
when you're in what I call myhigh alert depressed state.

(06:21):
There are different severitiesof depression, but the one I
would touch on is majordepressive disorder, or MDD, or,
as we hear, clinical depression.
It is a severe form ofdepression that needs treatment.

(06:42):
Major depression causesprolonged periods of sadness,
loss of interest in activities,changes in sleep patterns or
appetite sleep patterns orappetite fatigue, feelings of
worthlessness or guilt and, insevere cases, thoughts of self
or suicide.
The reason it's called clinicalis that you will have had these

(07:07):
symptoms for nearly all day forat least two weeks.
Major depressive disorder iswhat I have been diagnosed with.
These feelings kept me in bedfor a very long time and were
very hard to break.
You have to slowly work yourway out of this cycle and be
ready for help.
What people never understand isthat depression isn't about the
outside.
It's about the inside, JasmineWarga.

(07:31):
Anxiety and depression areserious medical conditions that
need proper care and support.
They are often bedmates, as mydoctors like to call them,
because they usually runtogether, meaning you may suffer
from both of them at the sametime, like I do.
Maybe you've been there beforeor you're in that season right
now.
Having the courage to open upand get help is a huge step.

(07:54):
Speaking from my personalexperience, working with a
therapist and counselor orcounselor to find the right
medication if needed, can make ahuge difference in your life.
Therapists and counselors aretrained to help you work through
your feelings.
They can teach you copingskills and ways to manage your
stress.

(08:14):
The form of therapy I take iscognitive behavioral therapy or
talk therapy.
The form of therapy I take isCognitive Behavioral Therapy or
talk therapy.
This form of therapy helpschange your unhelpful and
unhealthy ways of thinking,feeling and behaving, and it has
helped me tremendously.

(08:34):
Medication is also an option forsome people.
It can help balance theimbalances of our brain
neurotransmitters such asdopamine, which is our memory or
movement hormone, and serotonin.
We all know this is our happyhormone, but it also helps with
sleep and digestion.
With medication, it can make iteasier to handle daily life,

(08:57):
but everyone's different, soit's important to find what
works for you.
It took me years to realizethat I needed this additional
step to help balance me out.
Medication coupled withcounseling got me moving again
to the point where now I canthink about self-care routines.
You know the fluffy stuffBecause at one time I didn't

(09:20):
care about any of it.
Getting professional support isimportant, but so is the power
of self-care routines, a strongsupport system and, you know,
really prioritizing your mentalhealth.
There are also things you cando on your own, like exercising.
Exercising is a great moodbooster because you know it

(09:41):
gives us our endorphins.
I love happy genes andrelaxation techniques like deep
breathing or meditation can helpcalm our nerves.
Connecting with positivefriends and positive family that
give you the support you needand remember to take things one
step at a time, Mindful Moment.

(10:04):
Being diagnosed with anxiety,depression or any other mental
health struggle is nothing to beashamed of.
Unfortunately, it's becomingincredibly common.
The key is being able to spotthe signs, understand what
you're going through or whatloved ones are going through,
and get them the proper care andthe support you or they deserve

(10:26):
.
There is still such a badstigma surrounding mental health
, which is why I created thispodcast, so that we can have
open conversations about it, tohelp break down those stigmas
and explain why mental healthmonths are so important.
It reminds us to put our mentalhealth in check and ask
ourselves how you doing, are youokay, girl?

(10:48):
It gives us a chance to reallyget to know ourselves, our inner
selves.
As I continue to grow and walkon this wellness journey, I'm
amazed at how far I've come.
Anxiety and depression hadhindered my life for a while.
It had crippled me in a waythat I never saw coming.

(11:09):
You never think that you'd beincapacitated, in a way where
you don't want to comb your hair, brush your teeth or laugh and
I love a good laugh.
I was raised in a fashioncapital and ended up not even
caring what I looked like orfelt like if I wanted to eat or
drink.
My children and husband, whom Ilove so dearly, were replaced

(11:31):
with sleep and despair.
Whoever thinks that you wake upto go to the emergency room with
half of your body shaking andin shambles and be diagnosed
with major depressive disorderand panic disorder?
I didn't see it coming.
I didn't see the physicaleffects or I didn't pay
attention to it.
It would have massive effectson my body.

(11:55):
With weight gain from mysedentary lifestyle, I later
developed diabetes, which addedrestless leg syndrome, sleep
apnea and all the otherillnesses that just kept piling
on me until I said enough isenough.
Now, would all of thisdisappear tomorrow?
Absolutely not.
Will I lose weight soon?

(12:15):
No, it took me over a decade ofsuffering to managing to now
creating the life that I want,and it's still challenging some
days.
Just to help find harmony inthis journey, I need a better
sleep routine, a daily schedule,and I need to move daily.
It's going to take a minute toget me back on track and find

(12:39):
that harmony, but I am on my wayto finding it and so will you.
No matter what you have beenthrough, no matter how rocky the
road has been, remember to keepmoving forward.
Remember Martin Luther King Jrsaid If you can't fly, run.
If you can't run, crawl.
But whatever you do, keepmoving forward and one day you

(13:05):
will look at yourself in themirror and say hello, beautiful,
there you are and it will beworth the journey.
Love you, girl.
Thank you for joining me.
I hope you found value intoday's conversation where we
talked about what is anxiety anddepression.
I'm your host, Shannon Martin.

(13:26):
Be sure to join us nextWednesday, where we will
continue our Mental Health Monthdiscussions, where we will
discuss mental health andtechnology.
Until then, stay healthy andwell.
Take care.
Until then, stay healthy andwell, take care.
If you enjoyed today's episode,please take a moment to rate
and review the show on ApplePodcasts or wherever you listen.

(13:47):
It really helps new listenersfind us and join our wellness
community.
Don't forget to stay connectedwith us across all our social
media platforms.
At Shannon B Wellness, we'vegot plenty of exciting things in
store, so be sure to join us onthis journey to wellness,
towards a healthier, happierlife.

(14:08):
Thanks for tuning in Disclaimer.
I am not a licensed mentalhealth professional.
The information provided hereis for general informational
purposes only and should not beconsidered a substitute for
professional mental healthadvice, diagnosis or treatment.

(14:30):
If you need help, pleaseconsult a qualified mental
health professional.