Anxiety and Depression

Are you Anxious or Depressed? Melbourne Natural Wellness Can Help You

Do any of the following statements apply to you?

• My anxiety and/ or depression is affecting my work, relationships or social life
• I no longer take pleasure in activities I once enjoyed
• I avoid certain activities, places and people because of fear of panic, embarrassment or death
• Every time I leave the house I feel a surge of panic wash over me
• I struggle to drive and avoid places with crowds such as airports, trains and supermarkets
• My anxiety and/ or depression is ruining my life
• I tried anti-depressants but they did not work and/ or the side effects were too bad
• I do not want to take medication to treat my depression
• Some days I wake up and all I can do is stare at the wall
• My libido, appetite and sleep patterns are disrupted
• I feel sick all the time and constantly worry about illness and death
• I feel my life is worthless and pointless
• I feel that nobody can help me

If you answered Yes to any of these questions, you may be suffering from depression and/ or anxiety. Thankfully, MNW has years of experience in treating people with these types of problems WITHOUT drugs and WITHOUT side effects.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a basic emotion experienced by all humans at some point in their lives. While for many people, anxiety serves a useful function in preparing the body for imminent danger or threat, for some it can generate seemingly inappropriate and exaggerated responses that can result in often prolonged, debilitating and intensely frightening attacks that can severely impact on an individual’s ability to perform daily functions and enjoy life. A common form of anxiety is agoraphobia which literally means ‘fear of the marketplace’. Agoraphobia often develops after an individual experiences a terrifying panic attack in a certain place or situation. The individual then develops a fear of that place or situation such that they will avoid it in the future for fear of having another panic attack. This avoidance can then become generalised to certain types of public place and in extreme cases can result in sufferers becoming housebound. For an excellent description of how anxiety works and why it is never dangerous, read this article

What is Depression?

Depression is an illness typically characterised by a chronic low mood over a period of several months or more. Common symptoms of depression include lack of motivation, low self-esteem, feeling blue, guilt, shame, worthlessness, hopelessness and pointlessness. Physical symptoms can include loss of appetite, poor sleep, decreased libido, low energy and tiredness. While genetic, biological, psychological, environmental and social factors are all believed to play a role in depression, the weight applied to each factor varies with the individual sufferer. Depression is essentially a problem caused by excessive negative thoughts and feelings and any effective treatment should seek to overturn these thought patterns. To understand how thoughts in our brain can cause depression, read this article

For an excellent book on treating depression without drugs, MNW recommends ’Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy’ by Dr. David Burns.

How MNW Can Help You 

Melbourne Natural Wellness is a multi-modal clinic and studio that adopts a holistic approach to treating the causes and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Treatment commences with a comprehensive assessment from our specialist who will then develop a personal, tailored approach for you and your specific condition. A typical treatment plan may include:

• Advice on lifestyle changes you can make
• Weekly exercises for you to do
• Dietary and Nutrition Advice
• Natural herbs and dietary supplements
• Referral to our Neuro-Linguistic Programming specialist Ingrid Perri to help you overcome negative thought patterns and feelings
• Referral to one of our excellent relaxation massage therapists
• Yoga, Pilates or Meditation classes

What You Can Do Now

There are several very simple steps you can take right now to relieve your anxiety and depression symptoms:

• Reduce or stop your alcohol intake (alcohol is a depressant and while it may have beneficial short term effects, it can actually exacerbate anxiety and depression)
• Reduce or stop your caffeine intake (particularly for anxiety sufferers as caffeine is a stimulant - try herbal teas instead)
• Get at least half an hour of sunlight every day
• Do half an hour of moderate exercise each day such as walking, swimming or light weights (anxiety sufferers should avoid strenuous exercise as this can exacerbate symptoms for some people)
• Sign up for a Yoga or Pilates class - click on ‘Book & Shop’ above
• Contact us on 9662 1311 to make an appointment for your initial consultation and assessment