Our Services

Mental Health Issues

Stress

A little stress in our lives is actually good for us. It can motivate us and trigger that 'flight or fight' response, providing an extra surge of energy to explore new horizons and face challenges.

In fact, stress evolved as a response to the physical threats humans once faced daily, like predators. Stress effectively readied the body for some type of confrontation.

An example of a good stress situation over the history of human kind can be explained simply by: The prehistoric mammoth and the modern car crash are similar. In both scenarios, the adrenal glands produce adrenalin and cortisol – hormones that prepare our muscles for action by increasing heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. Once the acute threat passes, this heightened state of arousal subsides.

However if the threat persists, and stress hormones remain elevated in the body? Experts have proven that chronic stress plays a role in many psychological and physiological ailments, some of them life threatening. These include depression, anxiety, allergies, digestive disorders, heart disease and cancer.

So it makes sense to try and beat stress before it causes serious harm.

Anxiety

Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. It's that feeling of dread or apprehension accompanied by tightness in the chest, and physical symptoms like sweating, trembling and rapid heartbeat. It's often caused by some change in our lives over which we feel we have no control. It might be a new date, an exam result, or a work performance review. Or it could be something more serious – a major accident, illness or the death of someone close. It can last for weeks, even months. For most people, the anxiety fades once the event is over or the problem is solved.

However in some situations, the anxiety persists and becomes much greater – even overwhelming – and quite out of proportion to the situation. It can make normal, daily activities difficult or impossible. These people are said to have an anxiety disorder.

About one in 20 people suffer from anxiety disorders and unfortunately, only a small percentage will seek treatment, the good news is, most anxiety disorders can be successfully treated.

One of the intriguing aspects of anxiety is that there can be large variations in individuals' responses to stressful events. Some people survive a traumatic event without getting any anxiety, while others are almost incapacitated by seemingly trivial events. Researchers have identified the following risk factors:

Genetic predisposition. Anxiety disorders tend to run in families, suggesting there's a genetic factor involved in the cause. Studies show that if one identical twin has an anxiety disorder, the second twin is more likely to have an anxiety disorder than if they were unrelated.

Personal characteristics. Researchers believe that people who have low self-esteem and poor coping skills may be prone to anxiety disorders.

Biochemistry. It's theorised that some people who are prone to anxiety may have too many or too few neurotransmitters in the brain, casing the normal anxiety-producing pathways to overreact. Serotonin and gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) are two of the neurotransmitters that may be involved, though their exact role is poorly understood.

Here at Healthy Women Medical Centre all our Female doctors have a wide ranging experience in dealing with both day to day and also longer term anxiety issues for their patients. Our long consultations allow you all the necessary time to fully discuss your concerns with your Doctor.

Depression

Depression is more than just a low mood - it's a serious illness. While we all feel sad, moody or low from time to time, some people experience these feelings intensely, for long periods of time and often without reason. People with depression find it hard to function every day and may be reluctant to participate in activities they once enjoyed.

Depression is one of the most common of all mental health problems. One in five people experience depression at some stage of their lives. Every case of depression is unique, no one thing causes depression - most often, it's caused by many different factors.

There is also no clear answer that explains why one person becomes depressed, while another may not. In some cases, it can happen for no obvious reason; while at other times it may be triggered by a specific or stressful event.

Depressive Illness is the emotional equivalent of a broken leg. The condition is painful and disabling, but with a very high cure rate. Indeed, many people state they would far prefer to have a broken leg or some other obvious physical problem, which would allow them and the people around them to understand why they are so suddenly disabled.

If you feel that you may be suffering depression, you do not need to continue feeling this way forever. This is a common fear, it’s important to know that depression can be successfully treated and that you will feel better in time and with the right treatment.

At Healthy Women Medical Centre all our Female Doctors have had a lot of experience and training in Depression and anxiety related issues, where they can diagnose and arrange an appropriate treatment for you personally.

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