In most conversations be it vocals or text, the word ‘anxious or depressed’ is used interchangeably. Although, depression and anxiety are two different medical conditions, but their diagnosis, symptoms, and treatments are often similar.
However, both are normal emotions to experience during various situations. Anxiety can lead to avoidance and isolation. This could be as a result of unpleasant experiences, which then leads to low mood.
Depression is classified as a mood disorder. It may be described as feelings of sadness, loss, or anger that interfere with a person’s everyday activities.
For other people, these emotions may be flow in the opposite direction. Feeling down may drain someone of the energy to do things they typically enjoy, and attempts to re-engage with the world after being out of practice may result in nervousness.
Anxiety and depression have distinct psychological features. Their mental symptoms or expressions of the condition are different
For Anxiety:
People with anxiety may:
- Worry about the immediate or long-term future
- Have uncontrollable, racing thoughts about something going wrong
- Avoid situations that could cause anxiety so that feelings and thoughts don’t become consuming
- Think about death, in the sense of fearing death due to the perceived danger of physical symptoms or anticipated dangerous outcomes
The nature of the anxiety varies. For example, someone with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) may worry about a variety of topics, events, or activities. A person with social anxiety disorder (SAD), on the other hand, is more prone to fear negative evaluation or rejection by others and to be apprehensive about meeting new people or other socially challenging situations.
For Depression:
People with depression may:
- Be hopeless, they may assume that nothing positive will happen in the future for themselves, for others, or for the world
- Believe it is not worth trying to think or feel differently, because of this hopelessness
- Feel worthless, as if who they are or what they do is not valuable
- Think about death due to a persistent belief that life is not worth living or that the individual is a burden on others. In cases of moderate to severe depression, more specific suicidal thoughts can be present.
One study shows that major depressive disorder (MDD), of these types of thoughts listed above are persistent most of the day or even more days.
Visible Differences Between Anxiety and Depression
Physical Signs of Anxiety
The physical state of anxiety can be conceptualised overall as that of heightened arousal. Specific characteristics include:
- Difficulty concentrating due to state of agitation or racing thoughts
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep due to racing thoughts or other physical symptoms
- Dizziness
- Gastrointestinal distress (e.g., nausea, diarrhea, or constipation)
- Increased heart rate, blood pressure, sweating
- Muscle tension
- Shortness of breath
Physical Signs of Depression
Depression is primarily characterized by changes in usual physical processes from baseline, such as:3
- Difficulty with concentration, focus, and memory due to ruminative thought processes or other physical symptoms
- Lack of energy
- Loss of appetite or a significant increase in appetite
- Moving or talking more slowly than usual
- Physical achiness without cause
- Sleeping much more or much less than is typical due to ruminative thought processes or low energy
Where to Seek Help
When seeking more formalized help for anxiety or depression, start by speaking with your primary care physician.
You can also research online referrals via national organizations including:
- The Anxiety and Depression Association of America
- The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
- The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science
- The American Psychiatric Association
Always remember that while effective treatment for anxiety or depression need not be a long-term commitment, it is likely to require regular, ongoing appointments at least in the short term (say, six to 12 months). Therefore, it is critical to find a professional you trust and with whom you feel comfortable speaking about your symptoms.
Treatment for Anxiety and Depression
There are various treatments for anxiety and depression although you may see visible change changes within 6 to 12 weeks, but this would help improve your mood and productivity.
Self-Help Approaches
These approaches can include self-help books and phone apps that adapt evidence-based psychotherapies or offer a way to practice skills that target a symptom (such as mindfulness or meditation for anger or anxiety).
Psychotherapy
In structured psychotherapy, like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), the treatment approach for anxiety and depression can vary slightly. For both issues, CBT will teach you how to work with unhelpful thought traps. And, for either problem, CBT is likely to ask that you do more behaviourally.
In psychodynamic talk therapy, sessions for anxiety and depression may look more alike than different. You will be asked to speak freely about the past and the present in order to become aware of unconscious thoughts and conflicts underlying your symptoms.
Medications
A group of medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) has been shown to be helpful for both anxiety and depression. Other medications that may be used depending on your symptoms include tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and anti-anxiety medications.
Disclaimer: The information published in this article is purely for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not intend to diagnose, treat or cure any disease and should not be treated as medical advice.
