Anxiety and Depression: An Overview
Occasional feelings of anxiety, depressed mood or sadness are common experiences. However, taken to extremes, these feelings can become disabling disorders. Both anxiety and depression are extreme, lasting versions of these normal feelings. Although anxiety and depression aren’t the same, you can experience depression with anxiety or either condition alone.
Anxiety Symptoms and Disorders
Anxiety disorders are characterized by feelings of fear or worry, and anxiety symptoms can manifest both physically and emotionally. Physical anxiety symptoms may include:
- Dizziness
- Increased heart or breathing rate
- Nausea
- Perspiration
- Shaking.
These anxiety symptoms can often come on suddenly, and are usually irrational responses to actual threats. It’s normal to feel anxiety at times, but in an anxiety disorder, these feelings are often more extreme or happen in benign situations.
Many different types of anxiety disorders exist, each with its own anxiety symptom and triggers. Types of anxiety disorders include:
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
- Test or performance anxiety.
Depressive Disorders
Like anxiety, depression symptoms may vary, depending on the actual disorder. Common depressive disorders include:
- Age-related depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Dysthymia
- Major depressive disorder
- Postpartum depression
- Seasonal affective disorder.
Similar to anxiety, depression symptoms are caused by a variety of biological and environmental factors, including neurotransmitter activity and difficult life events, such as divorce or loss of a loved one. Particular events may also bring on specific types of depression. For example, postpartum depression occurs after pregnancy, while seasonal affective disorder symptoms typically appear during fall and winter.
Though some people may experience depression with anxiety, depression presents differently than anxiety. Depression symptoms include:
- Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
- Depressed mood
- Feelings of hopelessness or despair
- Social withdrawal.
Experiencing Depression with Anxiety
Depression and anxiety are conditions that can influence one another. In some cases, having a history of an anxiety disorder can precede depression, while prior depression can lead to development of anxiety in others. Some people can even develop anxiety and depression simultaneously.
Both anxiety and depression may be brought on or intensified by difficult or traumatic life events, causing sufferers to withdraw socially. Whether you’re experiencing depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms or you’re suffering from depression with anxiety, seek help from a doctor or licensed mental health professional. He will be able to help you to manage your emotional and physical symptoms and get more enjoyment out of life.
Resources
Anxiety Disorders Association of America Staff. (n.d.). Depression. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from the Anxiety Disorders Association of America website: www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/depression.
Johns Hopkins Medicine Staff. (2008). Research update on depression and anxiety. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from the Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Alerts website: www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/depression_anxiety/JohnHopkinsDepressionAnxietyHealthAlert_2132-1.html.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (n.d.). Depression (major depression). Retrieved May 24, 2010, from the Mayo Clinic website: www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/DS00175.