Are You Anxious, Depressed, or Both?

July 31, 2019

Dr. Srikanth Reddy

#Best Psychiatrist in Indore

#Best Psychologist and De-Addiction Specialist in Indore

 

The terms “anxious” and “depressed” get thrown around a lot in casual conversation, and for good reason: both are normal emotions to experience, routinely occurring for us all in response to high-stakes or potentially dangerous condition or disappointing, upsetting circumstances.

The relationship between these emotions — and their associated clinical situation, anxiety disorders and mood disorders — is complex and somewhat idiosyncratic. For one person, anxiety can lead to avoidance and isolation, and isolation, in turn, can result in a lack of opportunity for pleasurable experiences and then, low mood. For another individual, feeling down may zap them of the energy to do things they typically enjoy, and attempts to re-engage with the world after being out of practice may result in some nervousness.

Understanding the distinctions between the two emotions and characterizing the severity of the problem can help you to determine how to go about the business of feeling better.

The Relationship between Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression share a biological basis. Persistent states of anxiety or low mood — like those experienced by people with clinical anxiety and mood disorders — involve changes in neurotransmitter function. Low serotonin levels are thought to play a role in both, as do other brain chemicals like dopamine and epinephrine.

While the biological underpinnings of these problems are like, anxiety and depression are consciously experienced differently.

As described above, anxiety and depression can occur sequentially — one in reaction to the other, or they can co-occur. When anxiety and mood problems reach the threshold for clinical diagnosis simultaneously, the specific diagnoses are considered comorbid situation.

Differences in Psychological Features

Anxiety and depression have distinct psychological features.

Mental markers of anxiety include:

• Worry about the instant or long-term future
• Uncontrollable, sometimes racing, thoughts about something going wrong
• Believing that it is better to avoid situations that could reason anxiety so that the feelings and thoughts don’t “get totally out of hand”

Differences in Physical Features

• Increased heart rate, blood pressure, sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Muscle tension
• Gastrointestinal distress (for example, nausea, diarrhea, or constipation)
• Dizziness
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep due to racing thoughts or other physical symptoms

Treatment

Even if you decide that your anxiety or mood problem is a “low-grade” issue for you, it can still be worth working on. Consider how much it is interfering with your life, and in what ways, to determine what kinds of interventions might be helpful.

If your symptoms are mild, tending to ebb and flow between present and absent, or if you have had formal treatment previously and are concerned about relapse, self-help interventions can be a reasonable place to start. These approaches typically involve little to no guidance by a professional. They can contain the use of self-help books, electronic applications that adapt evidence-based psychotherapies or Smartphone programs that offer an easy way to practice skills that target a highly relevant symptom.