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With some questionable health advice being posted by your friends on Facebook, politicians arguing about the state of the American healthcare system and a new medical study being summarized in just a sentence or two on TV---that seems to contradict the study you heard summarized yesterday---it can be overwhelming to navigate the ever-changing landscape of health news.

Anxiety Disorders and Depression

flickr user amenclinicsphotos ac (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)

From time to time we all feel worried or unhappy, but when those feelings begin to interfere with our daily living, we might wonder why we can’t snap out of it.

Anxiety disorders involve excessive worry that doesn't go away. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 31% of U.S. adults experience any anxiety disorder at some time in their lives.Anxiety often co-exists with depression, having a low mood and/or a loss of interest or enjoyment in most activities. In any one year, about 10 percent of the U.S. population would meet the diagnostic criteria for depression according to a recent article in Runner’s World magazine.

Wait. Runner’s World magazine? Does this contradict the common image you have of someone with anxiety or depression? A study  in The British Journal of Sports Medicine found high-performance athletes were just as likely as non-athletes to report depressive symptoms. As the author of the Runner’s World article stated,  “it’s possible to be outwardly active but internally askew which can mask just how common depression and anxiety are.”

The author went on to describe the “chemical romance” she has with the endorphins running creates to help her with her depression. However, there are additional effective treatments for anxiety and depression. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America states, “a treatment plan for a diagnosis of depression and an anxiety disorder should be designed to help a person manage and reduce the symptoms of both disorders, often at the same time.” These may include talk therapy, medication and support groups.

Resources:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder.shtml

https://www.runnersworld.com/rw-selects/for-depression-and-anxiety-running-is-a-unique-therapy

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/01/31/582112597/researchers-discover-anxiety-cells-in-the-brain

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/depression/treatment

Gorczynski PF, Coyle M, Gibson K Depressive symptoms in high-performance athletes and non-athletes: a comparative meta-analysis Br J Sports Med Published Online First: 02 March 2017. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096455

Dr. Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs is an assistant professor in the Department of Leadership, Middle & Secondary Education. She writes for special publications of The Southeast Missourian and is a certified Community Health Worker.
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