FAQs, Dr. Eve Wood

1. What is the difference between feeling depressed and suffering from a diagnosable depressive illness?

2. If I am anxious a lot of the time, does that mean I have an anxiety disorder?

3. If I have trouble with my memory or concentration, does that mean I have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?

4. One of my friends told me that she knows the world would be better off without her. What should I do?

5. Can I become addicted to my antidepressant medication?

6. Why is a spiritual or religious practice important to my mental health?

7. Do I have to go to church in order to address my spiritual well-being?

8. What is the difference between spirituality and religion?

9. My spouse is an alcoholic who keeps on drinking. What should I do?

10. I have seen three different doctors/therapists for my anxiety problem, but I still don't know what is wrong with me or if I am in the right place. What should I do?

11. How do I know if the career I have chosen is a "right fit" for me?

12. How can I find a doctor/therapist who thinks about illness and treatment the way you do?

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1. What is the difference between feeling depressed and suffering from a diagnosable depressive illness?

The experience of feeling depressed can be part of a depressive illness. But many people who suffer from clinical depression do not experience depressed mood, and many people who experience depressed mood or feelings at times are not suffering from clinical depression. For example, many people who would meet diagnostic criteria for a major depressive episode experience a loss of pleasure, interest and motivation to pursue usual activities, but insist they do not feel depressed. A loss of interest or pleasure is equivalent to feeling depressed in establishing the diagnosis of major depression. Major depression, dysthymic disorder (a chronic low-grade depression), manic-depressive illness and post-partum depression are all clinical disorders that involve many symptoms. For more information about each of these disorders, please visit the appendices in my book, There's Always Help; There's Always Hope, or the Medical Guidance section of this website.

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2. If I am anxious a lot of the time, does that mean I have an anxiety disorder?

No. Anxiety is a symptom, not a diagnosis. There are many reasons why you might feel anxious. All of us feel anxious sometimes, and our anxiety can be a signal to us that something about our life or life choices needs to be changed. Additionally, certain medical conditions, like hyperthyroidism, can cause an agitation and feeling of anxiety. That being said, anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive/compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social phobia afflict 20.2 million Americans in any given year. Like depression, these disorders are quite treatable. For more information about each of these disorders, please visit the appendices in my book, There's Always Help; There's Always Hope, or the Medical Guidance section of this website.

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3. If I have trouble with my memory or concentration, does that mean I have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?

No. Impairment of memory and concentration is found in all of us sometimes, and in many psychiatric, as well as other medical, illnesses. The diagnosis of ADHD is made on the basis of the frequency, degree, character and length of symptoms experienced by any individual. ADHD has its onset in childhood and persists into adulthood in at least 50% of people. Although the diagnosis of ADHD may first be made in adulthood, as many of the tales in There's Always Help; There's Always Hope illustrate, its onset is always in childhood. You may well be suffering from ADHD and not know it. You can learn more about ADHD by reading some of the stories in my book, especially that of Samuel, Liza, Shari , Dominick and Nancy. For more information about each of these disorders, please visit the appendices in my book, There's Always Help; There's Always Hope, or the Medical Guidance section of this website.

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4. One of my friends told me that she knows the world would be better off without her. What should I do?

Often times, people begin to share their hopelessness and suicidal ideas by making comments like this. In fact, the vast majority of people who do attempt suicide reach out for support in ways that aren't always recognized for their urgency and seriousness. I would urge you to ask your friend directly whether she has had any thoughts about hurting herself or taking her own life. If the answer is yes, it is important to find out whether she has actually thought through a plan and, if the answer to that question is yes, the next question to ask is has she gathered the means, or necessary items, to carry out the plan. Any time a person expresses hopelessness and a sense that the world would be better off without them, it is important that they receive help, intervention and support. But, what distinguishes an acute emergency from a significant or serious problem is the degree to which a person is at risk of immediate self-harm. If you sense an imminent danger in your friend's responses to these questions, I urge you to accompany your friend to an emergency room or crisis counseling center immediately. You might save her life that way.

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5. Can I become addicted to my antidepressant medication?

No. Antidepressant drugs are not addictive. You may very well need to remain on the same dosage of medication even after your depression or anxiety symptoms go away, in order to minimize the likelihood of symptom recurrence. Characteristics of addiction, on the other hand, include tolerance (needing more and more for the same effect) as well as a pattern of chemical dependence that is destructive to physical and psychological health. Just like I would not call an insulin-dependent diabetic addicted to his insulin, I would not call you addicted to your antidepressant when you need it in an on-going way to treat your illness.

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6. Why is a spiritual or religious practice important to my mental health?

Studies have shown that people who are involved in some active spiritual or religious practice live longer, suffer from fewer serious and life-threatening illnesses including depression and anxiety disorders, and when ill, often have less severe symptoms and recover quicker than those without an active spiritual or religious practice in their lives. Something about prayer, meditation and other spiritual pursuits affects immune function and vulnerability to disease. While we don't understand all the reasons for this, we know it happens. The more you can include a spiritual or religious dimension in your life, the healthier you will probably be.

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7. Do I have to go to church in order to address my spiritual well-being?

Although it is clear that active spiritual or religious pursuits are important in emotional well-being, you do not need to go to church if it doesn't feel like a comfortable fit for you at this time. In the Spirit chapter of There's Always Help; There's Always Hope, you will find a series of questions designed to help you find your spiritual place in the universe. Each of us needs to find our own unique spiritual home. For some of us, that home is in a church, synagogue or mosque, but for many others it is not. You need to find what works best for you in your spiritual journey.

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8. What is the difference between spirituality and religion?

To my mind, spirituality is a sense of meaning and purpose, and an ability to see what is possible in the world. It is an awareness of, and a respect for one's inner wisdom. It is receptiveness and an openness to the love, potential and healing power in the universe. That said, spirituality does not necessarily have to involve organized religion. Many people are extremely religious, but may not be spiritual; others are extraordinarily spiritual, but have no affiliation to a church, synagogue or mosque. All spiritual pursuits are part of our search for inner wisdom, as well as what it means to be part of this wonderful and mysterious world.

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9. My spouse is an alcoholic who keeps on drinking. What should I do?

While it is important for you to try to be part of the solution and not part of the problem, you cannot control what your spouse does. Often addictive illness occurs in the context of a dysfunctional relationship, where the non-addict inadvertently and unknowingly covers for and supports the addict to continue in his disease. This is called enabling. You can encourage your spouse to attend Alcoholics Anonymous and work with appropriate treating professionals. You can even organize an intervention with therapeutic and professional support. Interventions of this sort are sometimes necessary in order to get alcoholics in denial into rehabilitation programs. For more information about alcoholism, Alcoholics Anonymous and treatment options, visit the Addictive Illness appendix in There's Always Help; There's Always Hope, or the addictive illness resource on this website. There is also a twelve-step recovery program for relatives and loved-ones of alcoholics. It is called Al-Anon and can offer additional support and resources to you at this time.

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10. I have seen three different doctors/therapists for my anxiety problem, but I still don't know what is wrong with me or if I am in the right place. What should I do?

You remind me of a patient whose story I tell in the Body chapter of There's Always Help; There's Always Hope. The patient's name is Cindy. You might benefit from reading her story. There are many different reasons for anxiety and you can begin to figure out what is causing yours. The appendices in There's Always Help; There's Always Hope as well as the resources on this website can help you sort out what your diagnosis might be. If none of the described diagnoses sound like you, you may have another type of medical problem that hasn't been diagnosed. If you haven't had an adequate evaluation by a medical doctor, please make sure to do so at this time. If you do not have an anxiety disorder or another medical problem to explain your symptoms, then they are probably the result of dysfunctional thought patterns or a mismatch between your nature and what you are trying to do. If that's the case, you can use the stories and examples in There's Always Help; There's Always Hope to begin to sort out where to go from here.

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11. How do I know if the career I have chosen is a "right fit" for me?

We all have gifts and potentials we are meant to express, and challenges and limitations that interfere with our ability to be successful in every pursuit. In There's Always Help; There's Always Hope, I tell a tale of two ladies that illustrates how respecting our inborn natures and challenges yields wondrous results, while unknowingly pursuing paths which we are ill suited for can be a total disaster. If you keep bumping up against what feels like a brick wall in the career path you are on, you may well be trying to do something that isn't right for you. This may be the result of undiagnosed learning issues, clinical disorders or trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. Allow yourself to be open to this possibility and, if necessary, to explore alternatives.

I would encourage you to ask your doctors and therapists to describe their approach and orientation to you. Some of them may be well versed in a body/mind/spirit model and able to provide an integrative care approach to you. Others may not, but may be receptive to the concept and able to provide a piece of the care puzzle to you as you work to put together your own support and treatment team. The guidance offered in There's Always Help; There's Always Hope is meant to enable you to take charge of your emotional health, by showing you how to put together care and support that you might receive from a series of different providers, healers and guides. While you may well be able to work with your current providers to create a care model that works for you, I would urge you to switch providers if, at any point, you feel unsupported in this endeavor. You will be able to find better matches if you continue to look for them.