Why Depression And Anxiety Are Often Two Sides Of The Same Coin.

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If you experience anxiety you probably struggle with some degree of depression and vis versa.  Why is this? 

Well, often the two feelings feed off each other.  When one experiences anxiety there is a fear or worry about something that results in a negative, cyclical, thought pattern of outcome.   

Anxiety arises through feelings of:

-          not being good enough

-         possible failure

-         rejection

-         an overall sense of overwhelm   

One may feel caught between a rock and a hard place, unable to move, effect change or positive outcomes which further feeds anxiety and the rise of depression. 

Symptoms of depression are:

-         A feeling of blackness

-         A lack of motivation or low energy

-         Body aches and pains

-         Trouble sleeping or too much sleeping

-         Feelings of hopelessness and dread

-         Suicidal thoughts 

Anxiety and depression result in similar outcomes.  Anxiety keeps a person so worried they never move and depression depletes them of the energy and desire to move.

 Often when people feel anxiety and depression they move to make the feelings go away quickly, through drugs, alcohol and food (including coffee).  This is a quick fix and often the feelings may re-emerge with greater frequency. 

Effective First Steps in Addressing Anxiety & Depression:

  • Review your last few days and what may be triggers for these feelings. 

  • Review your diet, has it changed?  Are you eating lots of fruits and vegetables?  What is your water intake?

  • Increase your exercise. Go for walks and stretch.

  • Talk to a good friend about your feelings.

  • Seek medical help if the feelings are persistent. 

Early intervention is very important.  Prescriptions medications  help to lessen the severity of anxiety and depression so that an individual can feel some sense of control to address their feelings. Medications such as Paxil and Zoloft may be prescribed by your doctor along with psychotherapy.

Psychotherapeutic Approaches:

 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy:  Helps one understand how their thoughts affect their feelings.  Using thought logs and situations the therapist helps the client to challenge and reformat their thought patterns and create realistic outcomes. 

Exposure Therapy:  The therapist helps a client move into interactions and situations that are found to be overwhelming in gradual degrees of exposure while working with the feelings that arise.

 Psychodynamic therapy:  The therapist uses many therapeutic approaches, including CBT and Exposure therapy, to help a person explore and examine their conscious feeling state as well as to become aware of their unconscious and unresolved feelings that draw them easily anxiety and depression.