Anxiety and Depression

September 8, 2016 by WestBridge

Anxiety and depression are two common mental health disorders that are commonly mistaken for one another, their symptoms confused or conflated. In fact, one report says that around 85 percent of those who are diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder.

What might surprise you is how different these two conditions actually are. Those who struggle with depression tend to battle feelings of hopelessness, or a pervasive sense of sadness that causes them to lose interest in their daily tasks and responsibilities. While those who struggle with anxiety may wrestle with overwhelming fear and panic.

The person experiencing symptoms of depression does not necessarily worry about the future, because they already assume that things will inevitably be bad. The individual who experiences symptoms of anxiety may become extremely worried about the future, concerned that things will turn out badly or that they will lose the things that make them happy.

Even the more physical symptoms of depression and anxiety can be different. An individual struggling with depression may have a change in appetite, difficulty falling asleep at night, or bad headaches. While those diagnosed with anxiety disorders may have an elevated heart rate, shaking, sweating, hyperventilation or trouble with the bowels.

However, an individual can struggle with depression and anxiety simultaneously—and when this happens; the effects of both can be more severe. This does not mean that the two illnesses are synonymous, nor that treatment should be in precisely the same way.

This makes it imperative to get an accurate diagnosis. Seeking medical intervention can clarify which of these disorders is present—and how to address it. Both depression and anxiety can be treated, but only after they are accurately diagnosed.

Seek treatment for your mental health disorder. Contact WestBridge today.