The symptoms vary, even among different age groups. Below are brief reports on anxiety in the womb, depression among the elderly, and anxiety from living with fear. In the next week’s article, we will report on the symptoms of anxiety and depression in children and teenagers.
Anxiety in the Womb
Even a fetus can detect the stress, fear, and anxiety that its mother communicates through chemical changes in the bloodstream. “The developing fetus feels every bit of tension the pregnant woman does,” writes Linda Bird Francke in Growing Up Divorced. “Though the nervous systems of the fetus and the woman are not directly connected, there is a one-way relationship between the two that cannot be severed.” This may explain why, according to Time magazine, an estimated 30 percent of infants 18 months and younger suffer from stress-related difficulties ranging from emotional withdrawal to anxiety attacks. “Babies born to unhappy, distressed women are often unhappy and distressed themselves,” Francke concludes.
What is the symptoms of anxiety and depression in the elderly?
Senior Depression
“Depression in the aged shows up in a different way from that
in younger people,” reports the Jornal do Brasil. Rather than
manifesting itself as anguish or anxiety, such depression is “characterized
by loss of cognitive abilities—memory, concentration, and thinking
ability.” Moreover, according to Professor Paulo Mattos of Rio
de Janeiro’s Federal University, “depressed elderly people
manifest excessive guilt feelings in regard to irrelevant things.
They lose interest in what they used to do or what used to give them
pleasure,” including conversation. Such symptoms are sometimes
mistakenly regarded as just part of old age, states the report. In
order to recognize such changes in behavior and identify depression,
says Dr. Mattos, “it is very important that people have constant
contact with elderly family members.”
What is the symptoms of anxiety and depression due to living with fear?
Living With Fear
Living with fear is highly stressful. It often leads to depression and can ruin a person’s health. “Stress suppresses the immune system and is a contributing factor in most diseases,” explains a health magazine. “The body will develop symptoms of wear and tear, especially on the organs involved. Hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, gastrointestinal disorders, ulcers, headaches, insomnia, depression, and anxiety can develop. Prolonged time in this mode results in exhaustion.”
