Stress, anxiety and depression

Various difficulties can arise during the life. Many people will experience stress, anxiety or depression reactions. This page is intended as a tool to help you to deal with these reactions and minimize their impact on your life.

Stress is a normal physiological response to an abnormal situation. As such, it is part and parcel of our lives. It enables our body to adapt to the multiplicity of positive and negative events that we experience, like a birth, marriage or loss of employment. Stress comes and goes on its own, depending of what factors are involved. For example, if you feel stressed on the job but less so at home in the evening or on the weekend, we could deduce that the stressors are work-related.

Contrary to fear, which is a response to a well-defined and very real threat, anxiety is a response to a vague or unknown threat. Anxiety manifests itself when we believe that a dangerous or unfortunate event may take place and are expecting it. Everyone experiences anxiety at their own individual degree and intensity. How the anticipated event is perceived greatly influences the intensity of the anxiety experience.

The dictionary defines depression as a passing state of lassitude, discouragement and sadness. Depression can appear in a variety of physical and psychological ways. Its intensity varies from one person to the next.

Stress, anxiety and depression reactions can appear in a variety of physical, psychological, emotional and behavioural ways for any given individual.

• Headaches, neck tension, gastrointestinal problems, etc.
• Sleep problems
• Decrease or increase in appetite
• Lower energy, fatigue, etc.

• Worries and insecurity related to a real or imagined situation or event
• Feelings of being overwhelmed by events, powerlessness
• Self-verbalization that does not always reflect reality
• Negative vision of things or daily events
• Feelings of discouragement, insecurity, sadness, anger, etc.

• Difficulty in concentrating
• Irritability, aggression
• Crying
• Withdrawal, insularity
• Difficulty in taking decisions
• Increased use of alcohol, drugs, tobacco and/or medication, etc.

All of these symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression are very normal in a difficult situation. Most people have the resources and ability to adapt to this type of situation. You should first rely on how you usually adapt to difficult situations. Here are a few other ways for you to minimize the repercussions of these reactions in your daily life.

Insufficient and/or contradictory information may aggravate the reactions. 

• Use reliable sources of information or contact a professional.
• Take the time to confirm such information with officially recognized sources.

• Be attentive to your feelings, emotions and reactions and allow yourself to voice them to someone you trust. Write them down or express them through physical or other types of activity.
• Make use of physical activity to let the stress out and eliminate tension.
• Practice healthy living habits like proper nutrition and sufficient sleep.
• Limit, when it is possible, your access to stressors.
• Allow yourself life’s little pleasures such as listening to music, taking a warm bath, reading, etc.
• Remain in contact with people that do you good.
• Remind yourself of winning strategies you used in the past to get through difficult times.
• Count on your own strengths.
• Set limits for yourself, such as refusing a task that you do not want to do and that is non-essential.
• Learn to delegate and let others help you.

Generally speaking, overcoming reactions to stress, anxiety and depression is possible. Still, some unease may persist for some weeks or months, and even worsen. The following may be signs that your state of health is deteriorating.

These signs may mean that your personal resources no longer suffice to manage your worries on a daily basis. Seeking help could be beneficial.

• Feelings of suffocation, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, nausea
• Major sleep problems
• Pronounced decrease or increase in appetite, possibly associated with weight loss or gain
• Low energy and pronounced fatigue or exhaustion

• Anxiety and overwhelming fear
• Feeling panicked
• Negative pervasive thoughts
• Loss of pleasure and interest in activities that you usually enjoy

• Difficulty in carrying out daily tasks
• Avoiding anyone 
• Obsessively monitoring coronavirus symptoms
• Intense, frequent crying
• Pronounced irritability and aggression, conflict with other members of the household
• Inability to concentrate
• Alcohol, drug and medication abuse

If you are experiencing stress, anxiety or depression, you can contact the Info-Social 811 service. Psychosocial intervention professionals will offer you support and provide informationi and advice according to your needs.