Understanding Anxiety and Depression:

Anxiety and depression are the two most common mental health conditions that affect people worldwide. In fact, studies reveal that an estimated 4% of the global population suffers from anxiety disorders. This sums up to roughly 301 million people worldwide.

It has also been studied that young people are more prone to developing anxiety than the older population. Similarly, an estimated 3.8% of the population suffers from depression. This accounts for up to 280 million people all around the world.  Depressive disorders affect 4% of men and 6% of women. 

While the numbers might seem small in terms of percentage, they account for a very big number in real life. With such a high incidence, it is important to understand what is the difference between anxiety and depression. 

Stick with us through this article as it provides you with information about the differences, symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatments for anxiety and depression. 

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a general feeling of worry or fearfulness. These feelings are our natural response to real or perceived threats. However, these feelings of worry can sometimes amplify and start to have physical implications on your body like sweating, trembling, restlessness and sleep disturbances. 

For example, Devi grew up having a very strict tuition teacher. Her teacher had the tendency to break into angry outbursts every now and then. Even after performing well academically, she was constantly scolded and put down.

She changed the tuition soon after but her teacher’s anger instilled a sense of fear in her. Every time her results would arrive, she would get extremely nervous and start to tremble. This continued in her adulthood as well. Every time her performance was reviewed at work, the same pattern of symptoms would follow.  

What is Depression?

Depression is characterized by persistent low mood. However, it is not just about feeling sad. A person in depression might feel hopeless and helpless. The prolonged feelings of sadness can result in a person losing interest in daily activities of life. 

To understand this better, let us take the example of Shubh. Shubh was an excellent student all his academic life. He used to get good grades and was an inspiration for many students. As he entered adult life, he started facing difficulties while competing with a large pool.

Gradually, his self-esteem started to dwindle, he had difficulty in making decisions and gave up when challenges were encountered. He started to feel hopeless and constantly felt sad about how he failed to cope in his adult life. 

In both examples, anxiety and depression have affected the life of an individual to a great extent. To understand them better, we need to first understand how are these disorders caused, how they present themselves and how they can be treated. 

Are Anxiety and Depression Related or Connected?

Anxiety and depression may be connected since they originate from the same areas of the brain. The amygdala controls our emotional responses to the environment. Apart from that, common chemical messengers are involved in the manifestation of depression or anxiety disorders. 

That is why people diagnosed with depression might have an anxiety disorder at some point in their life. Similarly, people suffering from anxiety disorders are also at a risk of developing depression. 

Difference Between Anxiety and Depression:

Do I have Anxiety or Depression?  Know the difference between Anxiety and Depression - Symptoms:

If you are figuring what are the symptoms of anxiety and depression, here’s a list that differentiates both disorders. 

What are the Common Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression?

Regardless of the difference in the nature of the disorder, both anxiety and depression disorder can have some overlapping symptoms. They are:

1. Fatigue
2. Mood swings
3. Loss of appetite
4. Loss of interest in activities or hobbies
5. Irritability
6. Problems sleeping
7. Difficulty in concentrating
8. Physical symptoms, such as fatigue, headaches, rapid heartbeat, laboured breathing or abdominal pain

The most important aspect of knowing the symptoms is identifying the root cause. At Mave Health, our team of highly experienced mental health specialists can help you trace the source of the problems and guide you towards recovery. You can book a consultation over here.  

Is it Anxiety or Depression?  Know the Causes

Why does anxiety or depression manifest itself is not fully understood. For some people, the underlying health condition might act as a trigger while for some, past trauma might lead to problems. Genetics might also play a part here. However, why one disorder manifests more strongly than the other depends on environmental and social factors. Multiple factors like relationships, social expectations, external stresses, and the overall health of the person.

Can you have both Anxiety & Depression?

Anxiety and depression co-occur frequently. In fact, it has been studied that around 45.7% of individuals have major depressive disorder comorbid with any of the anxiety disorders in their lifetime. This means that a person can have anxiety and depression at the same time. 

It might occur sequentially or together, depending on the environmental and social factors. This is because the same neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain) - Serotonin, dopamine and epinephrine are involved. To know if you have both anxiety and depression, the symptoms of both must persist for a stipulated period. A mental health professional can help you to diagnose and suggest treatment for anxiety and depression. 

Causes of Anxiety and Depression:

1. Trauma:

People who have endured emotional or sexual abuse in their childhood might develop anxiety disorders at some point in their life. Experiencing anxiety for a long time might also result in depression. Adults who have experienced some kind of trauma like the death of a loved one or abuse might also develop anxiety disorders and/or depression. 

2. External stresses:

Excessive worry about the future or related stress caused by job loss, death of a loved one, financial crisis,  isolation, lack of support from people, etc can result in the development of anxiety disorders and depression. 

3. Other mental health disorders:

People with other mental health disorders like depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia might also have comorbid anxiety disorders. 

4. Substance abuse:

The risk of developing an anxiety disorder increases with substance use. Consuming drugs or alcohol can alter brain chemistry and have significant impacts on the way a person responds to a situation. Substance abuse also plays a key role in causing depression. 

5. Medical problems: 

Anxiety can be linked to an underlying health condition. Anxiety can be an indicator or might help doctors suspect a medical cause for the same. These underlying conditions might also result in depression. Medical conditions that cause chronic pain like diabetes, cancer, surgeries, or other mental health disorders can lead to depression. 

6. Genetic predisposition: 

It has been noted that people are at higher risk of developing depression or anxiety if it runs in the family. However, it is not necessary for a blood relative to have depression and anxiety for a person to develop it. These disorders can occur out of the genetic loop as well.

How to get diagnosed with Anxiety or Depression?

As important as it is to trace the source of your problems, it is also important to diagnose if it’s anxiety or depression. There is no specific depression and anxiety test. But here’s how you can identify if it is anxiety or depression:

How To Diagnose Anxiety Along With Depression?

The medical professional might examine to determine the quality of your physical health. However, if the symptoms of anxiety are severe, a mental health professional will conduct a detailed psychological evaluation to detect the source of the problem. 

According to the DSM-5 criteria, for a person to be diagnosed with anxiety must have feelings of excessive worry and apprehensive expectations, occurring more days than not for at least 6 months. 

How To Diagnose Depression Along With Anxiety?

Medical professionals might diagnose depression on the basis of the symptoms that a person displays and their medical history. They will diagnose you for a type of depression, for example, seasonal affective disorder, dysthymia, postpartum depression, etc. They may do so on the basis of the symptoms you have. 

The medical professional might also conduct routine blood tests and other medical tests to rule out the possibility of a medical condition being the source of depression. 

For a person to be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must persist most of the day, daily, for at least 2 weeks in a row. 

Can Anxiety be misdiagnosed as Depression?

Given the different nature of the disorders, it is very rare to misdiagnose anxiety as depression.  Mental health professionals can easily distinguish between the disorders. They can diagnose the disorders on the basis of the symptoms presented by the client. Co-occurrence of anxiety and depression might confuse many, but misdiagnosis is not common. 

How to treat Both Anxiety & Depression at the same time?

The co-occurrence of anxiety and depression is a common phenomenon. For most of the cases, professionals opt for therapy and medications to start with the treatment. The course of the treatment will depend upon the severity of the symptoms. 

Antidepressants are usually given for treating both anxiety and depression. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy are commonly used as therapies for depression and anxiety. Apart from therapy and medications, patients can also make use of alternative mental health therapies like yoga, meditation, acupuncture, aromatherapy, visualization, etc to manage the symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

Treatment for Anxiety and Depression:

Treatment for anxiety and depression requires cooperation from the patient’s side. Depending on the severity of the disorder, one may need the following anxiety and depression treatments: 

1. Psychotherapy:

Also known as “talk therapy” it is one of the most promising treatments to treat anxiety and depression. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is amongst the most effective therapies that are used to teach clients specific skills to cope with their negative thoughts.

Another effective type of CBT is Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy. In this therapy, a person is exposed to a situation or an object that triggers them so that they can gradually build confidence and manage their anxiety symptoms. 

Psychodynamic therapy helps uncover and process childhood experiences and subconscious factors that may be contributing to depression. IPT or Interpersonal therapy examines the role of interpersonal relationships in depression. 

2. Medications:

Several types of medications are currently used to relieve symptoms. Antianxiety and antidepressant medications are used for people with severe anxiety and depression symptoms. Antidepressants like SSRIs, SNRIs, Tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors are used for the treatment of depression. 

Out of these, SSRIs are the most commonly used drugs with a good recovery rate and minimal side effects. But take note, that medications must only be consumed under the supervision of a healthcare provider. 

3. Relaxation techniques:

Many times, dealing with anxiety on your own can involve using relaxation techniques. You can perform meditation, or deep breathing exercises that can calm down anxiety. You can also use grounding techniques like the 54321 technique or the 333 rule of anxiety. Practising relaxation also brings clarity and enhances focus. This can be useful for managing depression. 

4. tDCS for Anxiety and Depression:

Brain stimulation therapies like tDCS have been gaining popularity for treating anxiety and depression. It enhances the brain functioning by stimulating cortical regions of the brain (areas responsible for processing information in the brain). It has been used for treating anxiety caused by PTSD, Generalized anxiety disorder, and OCD. 

5. Lifestyle modifications:

Making certain lifestyle changes like exercising often, having a balanced diet and quitting alcohol and smoking helps manage depression. This along with therapy is an effective solution.

Can Anxiety cause Depression and vice versa?

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At Mave Health, our team of highly experienced professionals help to treat anxiety and depression with the help of ARC-tDCS technology. It uses non-invasive brain stimulation to enhance the functioning of the brain and reduce anxious and depressive symptoms without any side effects. 

Conclusion:

Anxiety and depression can impair an individual’s daily functioning. It also takes a toll on the social life of a person. When both of them occur together, tackling them becomes difficult. 

You can learn to manage your anxiety or feelings of sadness by engaging in activities that uplift you. You can also make lifestyle changes like having a bedtime routine, exercising and eating nutritious food. However, if you feel that handling anxiety or depression is becoming too overwhelming, you can get help from mental health professionals. 

They are trained to help you through difficult situations so do not feel embarrassed about having intense emotions. Mental health professionals will listen to all your concerns without any judgmentCentres and offer solutions that are free of any biases. 

At Mave Health, we believe that everyone deserves to live the life that they desire. With the help of new technologies like ARC-tDCS and our highly experienced mental health professionals, we can help you get started with your recovery journey - A journey that will lead you to live a full life.

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