What Is The Link Between Anxiety And Depression?
The short answer: if I sent you on a forced march for 20 miles, you would be depressed afterward. Many times depression follows a prolonged period of excessive stress – because stress just wears you down emotionally.
So even though depression and anxiety may seem completely unrelated because of the opposite reactions that they trigger in the form of a low-energy and a high-energy state respectively, there is a deeper connection between them.
Being “Stressed out” for a long time is exhausting. Excessive stress may lead to panic attacks as well. Such attacks can in turn lead to further depression. It’s a vicious cycle which goes on till the link is broken.
How are anxiety and depression related?
The symptoms of anxiety and depression overlap to some extent. Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness along with worry and fear are common to both these disorders. They have the same potential to disrupt your daily life and hinder your ability to work or maintain relationships.
According to a study, it has been found that 85% of people diagnosed with major depression are also diagnosed with anxiety disorder. Malfunctioning of certain neurotransmitters is considered to be the main reason behind this connection.
Another research has revealed that those who are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are vulnerable to depression.
Some common signs which show the presence of both depression and anxiety:
- Experiencing headaches, increase in heartbeat, pain in the abdomen and difficulty in breathing
- Constant feeling of worthlessness and despair
- Insomnia
- Irrational fears and worries that trouble the mind persistently
- Lack of interest in hobbies or activities
- Going through panic attacks regularly due to the feeling of loss of self-control
These signs show that anxiety and depression are generally triggered by similar causes and a biological predisposition may be the reason behind it.
Dealing with dual disorders
Visiting a mental health counselor for psychotherapy is the best way to tackle these disorders. The psychologist can suggest an anxiety treatment based on the severity of your depression and find out the root cause which triggers both depression and anxiety at the same time.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, antidepressants and exercise are some effective strategies recommended by counselors to treat such co-occurring conditions.
Visit a counselor today and get treatment in order to regain control of your life and make the best of it!