Читать книгу Anxiety and Depression Workbook For Dummies - Laura L. Smith - Страница 10

Depression and anxiety inevitably produce physical symptoms. In fact, some people primarily suffer from changes in appetite, sleep, energy, or pain while reporting few problematic thoughts or behaviors. These symptoms directly affect your body, but they’re not as easily observed by other people as the behavioral signs covered in the preceding section.

Take The Sad, Stressed Sensations Quiz in Worksheet 1-5 to see if your body is trying to tell you something about your emotional state.

Worksheet 1-5 The Sad, Stressed Sensations Quiz

1. I have no appetite.2. My palms sweat all the time.3. I wake up too early each morning and can’t go back to sleep.4. I’ve been experiencing a lot of nausea and diarrhea.5. I’ve been sleeping a lot more than usual.6. I feel shaky all over.7. I’ve been having lots of aches and pains for no good reason.8. When I’m nervous, my chest feels tight.9. I have no energy lately.10. My heart races when I’m tense.11. I’ve been constipated a lot more often than usual.12. I feel like I can’t catch my breath.13. I’m eating all the time lately.14. My hands are often cold and clammy.15. I’ve lost my sex drive.16. Sometimes I hyperventilate.17. Every move I make takes more effort lately.18. I get dizzy easily.

The symptoms in this quiz can also result from various physical illnesses, drugs in your medicine cabinet, or even your three-cup coffee fix in the morning. Be sure to consult your primary care provider if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms in The Sad, Stressed Sensations Quiz. It’s always a good idea to have a checkup once a year, or more frequently if you experience noticeable changes in your body.

Although physical sensations overlap in anxiety and depression, even-numbered items in the quiz above are most consistent with anxiety, and the odd-numbered items usually plague those with depression. There’s no cutoff point for indicating a problem. The more statements you check off, though, the worse your issue.

Add up your answers and reflect on your results in Worksheet 1-6. Think about other physical problems you may have that don’t appear on the list that may be related to your emotions and jot those down as well.

Worksheet 1-6 My Reflections