Depression and Anxiety

While depression and anxiety seem like they are antithetical to one another, in fact, many sufferers from depression suffer from anxiety simultaneously.  Depression can simply be described in layman's terms as feeling down, and is many times accompanied by lethargy and extreme sadness.  Anxiety, on the other hand, is characterized by fear and worry. People experiencing anxiety tend to have the following symptoms: heart palpitations, elevated blood pressure and heart rate, as well as a general rush of emotion.

Opposites Attract?

While depression and anxiety might appear to be opposites, many people with depression experience anxiety attacks or disorders.  When somebody experiences feelings of depression, loneliness, hopeleness and despondency, they are more likely to feel afraid or anxious.  The feelings that accompany anxiety are a natural outgrowth of the feelings that accompany depression.  Unfortunately, it's a vicious cycle, because the afraid, nervous and anxious feelings of anxiety can cause the sadness and loneliness of depression. 

What is Anxiety and Anxiety Disorder?

Anxiety is our body's normal reaction to stressful situations.  It is a natural mechanism that causes us to get nervous and anxious before a test, big meeting or important event. A bit of anxiety often helps us to perform better.  An anxiety disorder is when these reactions happen to us in anticipation of, or during common, everyday events. A diagnosis of an anxiety disorder is applied in numerous situations.  Some of these include: dread or avoidance of everyday situations due to excess anxiety, emotional distress that interferes with performance of normal everyday activities, and irrational, inexplicable fears.  Anxiety disorders affect about 40 million Americans over 18 every year. 

How to Treat Anxiety Disorder

There are numerous ways to treat anxiety disorders, some of which include psychotherapy,  medication, or a combination of both.  One of the common medications used to treat anxiety disorders are anti-depressants. These were originally only used to treat depression, but were found to be effective when treating anxiety disorders.  Anti-depressants in conjunction with psychotherapy can be very effective in treating a person who is suffering from both a depressive and anxiety disorder simultaneously.  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(CBT) has also proven to be effective for treating anxiety and depressive disorders.  A person suffering from an anxiety or depressive anxiety disorder should always consult with a medical practitioner or licensed therapist, in order to determine which treatment method is most appropriate for them.