The Return Of #Anxiety Or #Depression

Recovery from anxiety or depression comes after sustained efforts.The road may be tortuous but the rewards are truly worth the toil.You are finally free of that feeling of foreboding and melancholy.Unfortunately recovery from depression or anxiety is sometimes not permanent.About 50% of the depressed persons achieve permanent cure while others may suffer a relapse or one more recurrences.

"Depression relapse" happens when a person slides back into depression during recovery from an earlier episode. Relapse is most likely to occur within 2 months of stopping treatment for a previous episode.

"Depression recurrence" happens when symptoms return months or years after a person has recovered from the last episode. This is most common within the first 6 months. Around 20 percent of people will experience a recurrence, but this can rise when depression is very severe.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320269.php

Why this happens is worth examining:

1-Temperament:Recovery from a mental disorder signals that the sufferer must have incorporated  certain effective changes in his lifestyle along with medicine or psychotherapy-as the case may be-,which gave him relief.Whether it was the matter of confiding his worries to someone,discarding pessimism and negative self-talk,junking Cognitive Distortions,not overthinking about anything or adapting to and accepting the changed circumstances-something did click.

We are creatures of habit.We modify our behavior when our health is at stake but when life begins to run on an even keel we tend to slip into old habits.We discard the remedial measures which do not appeal to us but had been taken up under duress.A lethargic person will give up physical activity,exercise or meditation once he thinks he is cured,a workaholic may again ignore his personal life,while a person who tends to ruminate excessively will magnify even paltry problems. 

If someone sinks into the mold of behavior patterns which had earlier ignited the whole imbroglio,problems are bound to surface.The consequences are not apparent in the beginning but slowly the old symptoms return.In short,the changes which were adopted when the outlook was bleak are sometimes discarded after cure,thereby triggering a relapse or a recurrence. 

2-Premature cessation of treatment:Psychiatric medicines often have disagreeable side effects and some people discontinue the treatment before full remission.Even psychotherapy is sometimes junked as being too costly,time consuming or of little use.This too can cause a relapse of the disease.
It is necessary to differentiate between withdrawal symptoms due to abrupt cessation of medicine or a recurrence of the disorder.Psychiatric medicines should not be discontinued abruptly-this can give rise to withdrawal symptoms.It is best to phase them off under a doctor's guidance.

3-Hormonal changes in body:Hormonal changes because of puberty,pregnancy,child-birth,menopause,thyroid or some other condition sometimes precipitate the return of a mental disorder.

4-A major traumatic event:Any tragedy like death,disease,sudden loss of job or a painful breakup can also cause the recurrence of a mental ailment.But it is also possible that a person's sorrow after such an event may merely be a reflection of that event and may subside after a period of grieving which necessarily follows a major trauma.If that is the case then you only need some time and emotional support to reorient yourself. 

                  Remedy
Whatever be the cause,it is important to be aware and accept that your mental health has deteriorated.Only then will you be ready to take remedial measures.Identify the red flags at the earliest so that the disease can be tackled before it digs deep roots.Remove the most glaring cause of your stress and also pinpoint that element in your behavior which is aggravating your depressive emotions.Scrutinize your lifestyle and identify what you are doing wrong.Easier said than done?Yes!But it will save you a lot of anguish if you can stem the progress of a mental disorder at the very beginning.

*Think back to the first episode.
*How did it start?
*What triggered it?
*Are the conditions similar today?
*What helped you shake off the symptoms then?*Take it up again.
*Assess your circumstances rationally.
*Close the door through which anxiety is trying to barge in.
*Maintain a healthy lifestyle comprising of a wholesome diet,regular exercise,enough sleep,a stable routine consisting of enough activity and connectivity with your family and friends.
*Take up again,the activities which you used to  enjoy.
*Steer clear of alcohol or illegal drugs.
*Go in for professional help if these self-help measures do not give you relief but don't just let the water flow beneath the bridge due to apathy or lethargy.

These are simple initiatives which can easily be adopted.Mental disorders have to be tackled proactively in order to obtain relief.A depressed mind itself sends contrary signals that this cannot be done but you have to choose judiciously between what is good for you and what is not.Rational choices will help you along and you will be home free.