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According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), by 2020, absenteeism in the workplace will be caused mainly by stress related diseases. The second biggest cause of diseases and disability after heart disease worldwide will be mental health issues, depression and anxiety, according to Brent Murphy – B.Pharm (Rhodes), MPS Pharmacist and Head of R&D at Solal.
Unresolved stress can lead to a downward spiral of depression and anxiety, and cause a wide range of physical problems, from headaches and heart disease to weight gain and gastrointestinal problems.
In order to know how to treat stress and anxiety, you first need to know the difference between the two, and therefore get the help you need.
READ MORE: Are we becoming sadder? How to handle a bad mood, according to an expert
The difference between stress and anxiety:
One – Stress is the external influence and how you react to it is with anxiety.
Two – When exposed to stress, adrenal glands produce hormones called, cortisol and adrenalin and these help you to deal with stress, putting you in a fight or flight state, this state is anxiety.
Three – Stress goes away once the external influence is no longer worrisome while anxiety does not dissipate.
Four – There is good stress which excites you and is helpful, however, toxic stress diminishes your body’s ability to produce cortisol and another adrenal hormone, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), when you need them.
READ MORE: Isithembiso’s Nandi Mbatha on coping with anxiety disorder: 'I take pills to calm me down'
Here are 4 common anxiety disorders according to Your Health in Mind:
General anxiety disorder – People with generalised anxiety disorder worry much of the time about all sorts of everyday things – to do with work, finances, health or family for example.
Phobia anxiety disorder – If someone is very fearful of one particular thing or situation, they might have a specific phobia.
Social anxiety disorder – Someone with social anxiety disorder worries about other people noticing their anxiety and thinking less of them because of it.
Panic anxiety disorder – Someone with a panic disorder has repeated panic attacks, which seem to happen for no particular reason, and then they worry a lot about having more panic attacks.
READ MORE: 7 steps to deal with workplace anxiety
There is a continuous search for medicine that will assist with dealing with mental health issues such anti-depressants.
Taking medication that is symptom-masking, superficial, and “Take-two-of-these-and-call-me-in-the-morning-and-that-should-do-it” tricks doesn’t usually help long-term.
However, a safe option would be to visit your nearest pharmacy and consult a pharmacist for a precise evaluation of the mental issue you are dealing with and advice on which medicine to take.
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