Anxiety and depression are two distinct conditions but with some overlapping similarities. In times where mental health has become a daily and continuous topic for discussion, the two phrases are often mentioned in similar scopes. Most of us don’t have a complete grasp of the differences between the two conditions. According to the World Health Organization, mental health describes a state of balance within us and outside our environment. It encompasses the physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and other interrelated factors that collaborate to produce balance in our lives.
The absence of healthy and balanced mental health results in different conditions, including anxiety and depression. For many victims distinguishing the two conditions and understanding what they are going through becomes confusing. There is a great need to understand the two conditions’ awareness and understand how they overlap.
Anxiety
As human beings, we all have some levels of anxiety due to daily pressures. However, if the feelings of fear are constantly with your most of the times intense and at time debilitating, then you might have an anxiety disorder. The disorder’s common symptoms include increased heart rate, rapid breathing, restlessness, troubled concentration, and insomnia. CBT Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps with the treatment of anxiety
Depression
Depression describes a mood disorder that triggers persistent sadness feelings, loss of interest in active life, and low-self-worth and anger, which affects an individual quality of life and interaction with other people. Some common symptoms of the condition include; low sexual interest, strained sleep patterns, emotional baggage such as hopelessness, sadness, self-guilt, aggression, irritability, and restlessness.
Anxiety and Depression
Drawing a line between the two conditions is difficult, but an individual can go through both simultaneously. The impact takes a toll on the person’s mental state. Prolonged and extreme cases of depression can indeed result in depression as a secondary condition. A cramped cage of fear and anxiety causes the cognitive system to react to the loss of freedom. Most anxious people have experienced such moments in their lives and sunk into depression due to long-term untreated anxiety. Although an anxious person fears death, they normally don’t have suicidal thoughts, but as the condition develops to depression, suicidal thoughts may creep in. On the other hand, it is easy for a depressed person to experience and sink into anxiety and related attacks. The constant roller coaster of the impacts of depression, especially after long periods of failed intervention, triggers anxiety in the individual.
Similar Symptoms
The two conditions negatively affect a person’s mental health, and if left untreated, the consequences are fatal, including suicide. They share some similar symptoms that leave many people confused. These are
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Lost appetite
- Muscle tensions
- Significant weight loss
Lost Self-esteem and Self-Confidence
There are other similar signs shared between anxiety and anxiety, and thus separating the two has always been challenging. The most important thing to know is the importance of seeking treatment if you suspect you might be suffering from either of the condition. Treatment ensures balance in your mental health, empowering you to be productive, calm, rebuild your self-esteem and confident in your daily activities. The presence of depression in a [person makes them vulnerable to anxiety and vice versa. We should all embrace relaxation techniques, exercise, CBT, and antidepressant medications prescribed by physicians to deal with such conditions.
