Anxiety & Depression

They may seem like opposites, but depression and anxiety often occur together. The loneliness, hopelessness, and sadness of depression can make you afraid and anxious. In turn, this fear and anxiety may make you exhausted and more depressed. It's a vicious cycle, and often there's no way to say which condition came first.

Anxiety takes many different forms. Some people with anxiety disorders suffer panic attacks, which are sudden bouts of extreme fear along with a racing heart, breathlessness, and even pain. Others have anxiety that causes them to often relive traumatic events from their past. Anxiety can make people terrified of social situations, or give them extreme fears of certain objects or situations, making it seem impossible to get in an elevator, for example.

There are several types of anxiety disorders, and each has specific symptoms. But they all have these things in common:

Extreme fear and dread, even when there is no real danger
Emotional distress that interferes with daily life
A tendency to avoid situations that bring on anxiety

Like depression, anxiety is treatable with therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Antidepressants can affect anxiety that is associated with depression. Some antidepressants also treat full fledged anxiety disorders. Your healthcare provider can discuss further treatments for anxiety with you.

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