Are you suffering from Depression, Panic or Anxiety

Are you suffering from Depression, Panic or Anxiety
How to determine if you need assistance

Questions you could ask yourself to assess whether your stress or anxiety may require some professional help.

Shai Friedland
Shai Friedland - Clinical Psychologist
17 April 2020 | 2 minute read

Depression Questions

No.QuestionYesNo
1Do you feel sad or empty most of the time?
2Are you experiencing a loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and/or activities that you used to take pleasure in?
3Do you feel hopeless about life?
4Do you often have feelings of guilt or helplessness?
5Have your sleep patterns changed?
6Have your eating patterns changed?
7Do you feel tired all the time and have significantly less energy than usual?
8Do you have thoughts of death or suicide and/or attempted suicide?
9Do you feel more restless, irritable and/or angry than usual?
10Do you find that you are having difficulty concentrating, remembering things or making decisions?
11Do you have physical symptoms that do not seem to be responding to treatment? E.g. headaches, stomach pain, back pain, chest pain even if you have had it checked by a Doctor

If you answered yes to question 1 and/or 2 and then you also answered yes to at least a further 3 or 4 of the above questions AND the symptoms have persisted for 2 weeks or longer please consider contacting a doctor/psychologist/counsellor.

Treatment is usually psychotherapy or a combination of therapy and medication.

Panic Questions

1. Do you ever get?

QuestionYesNo
Repeated, unexpected “attacks” during which you suddenly are overcome with intense fear or discomfort and often for no apparent reason

2. During the above “attack”, did any of the following occur?

Physical symptomsYesNo
Pounding heart
Chest pain
Choking sensation
Shortness of breath
Nausea
Diarrhea
Stomach cramps
Sweating
Shaking or trembling
Light-headedness
Dizziness
Feelings of being detached from reality
Feelings of being detached from yourself
Tingling sensations or numbness
Hot flashes or chills or both

3. Since the above attack have you had?

QuestionYesNo
Consistent worry about having another attack
Worry about having a heart attack or going “crazy”
Change your behavior to accommodate the attacks in any way

If you have answered yes to number 1 and then yes to 8 or more in numbers 2 and 3 combined then you should speak to your doctor/psychologist/counsellor

Treatment is usually psychotherapy or a combination of therapy and medication

Anxiety Questions

1. Do you experience?

SymptomYesNo
Excessive worry occurring more days than not
Unreasonable worry about a number of events or activities, such as school, work or health
The inability to control the worry

2. Are you bothered by at least 3 of the following?

SymptomsYesNo
Being restless, keyed-up or on edge
Being easily tired
Difficulty concentrating
Being irritable
Constant muscle tension
Difficulty with sleep in any way
Your anxiety is interfering with your daily life

If you answered yes to 5 or more of the questions above please speak to your doctor/psychologist/counsellor

Please be advised that with anxiety you may also experience multiple physical symptoms as laid out in question 2 of the panic questions.

Treatment is usually psychotherapy or a combination of therapy and medication.

With Legal&Tax you're not alone

We are your trusted companion in helping guide you back to mental well-being. We offer a trauma assist benefit where you can get expert counselling.

For trauma assistance dial *120*15570# from your cell phone or call 084 124.

Get in touch with us for assistance.

Disclaimer: The content of this article was correct at the time of publishing, but the legislation or underlying information forming the basis of this article may have changed. You should always speak to a qualified Legal&Tax advisor before making any decisions.

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