We all have times when we feel low and sad, but, when this feeling lasts for weeks, months or even years, then a person’s life and relationships are affected. What the person could be experiencing is most probably depression. At times, people may maintain that there is a spiritual cause for the way they feel. Anxiety (Mini lecture and discussion) Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. Every person has felt anxious at some time in their life, but it becomes a problem when: • • • • • It happens repeatedly; The person is more afraid than he or she should be; The person starts to avoid situations; The anxious feelings interfere with everyday life and relationships; and The person has difficulty in breathing and experiences hyperventilation. When anxious, a person may experience bodily changes such as trembling, the heart beating very fast, sweating, stomach problems, and feeling dizzy. A person with anxiety may worry all the time, wondering what bad things will happen in their life. There are many different anxiety problems: some people will just worry all the time, whilst others will panic in certain places or situations. Causes of anxiety (Discussion and mini lecture) • An unpleasant experience: A person who panics may have had a bad experience in a certain place, like a market, and then feels afraid every time he or she goes back to the market. With time, that person may be afraid of going anywhere outside their home; • Personality: A person who has a nervous disposition will tend to worry about things that other people will worry less about; • Stress: This could arise as a result of a bad marriage or financial and other economic problems; and • Life events: These events could be things such as experiencing violence, being abused as a child or living in an unsafe environment. A child may become anxious because of: • Family problems, such as parents who are having marital/financial problems; • Problems at school; • Relationship problems, such as friendship troubles; and • Sexual and/or physical abuse. A child who is anxious may: • Have bad dreams; • Start wetting his or her clothes and bed; • Behave in a difficult manner, e.g. have tantrums; • Do poor school work; • Have trouble concentrating; and • Be irritable. 114 Community Healing: A training manual for Zimbabwe