Depression and anxiety seem to be two different emotional responses that people are capable of. We usually don't associate these two disorders. However, research has shown that depression and anxiety actually coexist, to the detriment of their patients.
When you think of someone with depression, you think of all the common symptoms associated with it: despair, hopelessness, anger, fatigue, not wanting to be part of society, and feeling overwhelmed by everyday life. A depressed person withdraws into himself and tries to cut off all ties with the outside world.
On the other hand, anxiety attacks seem to happen for no reason at all. Feelings of fear and panic occur in situations in which most people would be perfectly calm. These anxiety attacks come on suddenly with no warning and no direct reason for them to occur. After a while, the person affected by these attacks begins to live in fear of the attacks themselves, wondering when the next one will happen. Before long, and without treatment, both anxiety attacks and depression can begin to negatively affect the lives of sufferers by preventing them from holding down a job, having a relationship, or even socializing.
Many sufferers do not realize that one of them can lead to the other. Being depressed can take a heavy toll on the mind, leading a depressed person through a maze of different emotions. This in itself can lead to anxiety and eventually panic attacks. Panic attacks mean a loss of control, and when they happen more and more often, the sufferer can become depressed because they don't know if and when the next attack will happen.
Why these two disorders occur simultaneously is still largely unknown. But many studies show that major depression is often accompanied by an anxiety disorder. Both are likely caused by an imbalance in brain chemistry, but exactly why these two seemingly opposite disorders can coexist in the same person is not fully understood. An anxiety disorder means that the fight or flight response in the brain does not work as it should. It can go off at any time, even in seemingly peaceful situations. Those with an anxiety disorder always feel that they are in danger.
One thing that psychologists agree on is that having a combination of depression and anxiety is much more debilitating than having just one or the other. Patients with both disorders may take much longer for their depression to resolve, making their treatment more difficult. It has also been shown that people who suffer from anxiety and depression have a much higher suicide rate.
As bad as it sounds, there are options for treating both of these conditions. Antidepressants can be used to treat both depression and anxiety. When these drugs are used in conjunction with behavioral therapy, there is a high success rate in the treatment of depression accompanied by anxiety.
As bad as it sounds, there are options for treating both of these conditions. Antidepressants can be used to treat both depression and anxiety. When these drugs are used in conjunction with behavioral therapy, there is a high success rate in the treatment of depression accompanied by anxiety
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