You Often Avoid Practicing Basic Self
Often times, I like to refer to the mix of depression and anxiety as the beast. This is the voice in our head, the feelings in our body, which tells us to do the complete opposite of the positive actions we need to be doing for ourselves and our self-care. For example, if you need to get out of bed, brush your teeth, take a shower, get dressed for work, get your papers together and go, the beast of anxiety and depression is telling you to do the complete opposite every step of the way.
Here is where we must do everything opposite of what the beast wants. If it means simply rolling out of bed and onto the floor or making it to the couch, at least youre not letting it control every step of the way. These small behavioral shifts actually help us in feeling better. Katie Sandler, 33, an impact coach in Fort Lauderdale
Depression Vs Anxiety: Which Is Which
If you cant pinpoint which is giving you a hard time, dont feel bad. You are not alone. There is much crossover and the difference between them is not always clear cut. Not to mention the fact that the two peers tend to partner up and coexist, most of the time.
As a rule of thumb, depression revolves around feelings of profound sadness and numbness, while anxiety has more to do with fear and worry.
Feeling doom and gloomy all the time? If it drains your energy and turns simple tasks into hard chores, it robs you of your will to live, and fills your mind with past-based, self-destructive thoughts, guilt, and hopelessness, then you might rightfully call it depression.
On pins and needles around the clock? If it gives you buzzy high and lows, makes you overthink about potential future threats, leaves you fraught and distressed, or keyed up and exhausted at the same time, then an anxiety disorder might be to blame.
Whether anxiety is chasing you or depression is weighing you down, or both, do not despair. They are very treatable conditions. A tailor-made blend of psychological and natural therapies, medications, and lifestyle tweaks can put you back in the drivers seat.
Living With Both Conditions Causes Intense Worrying
They may find themselves ruminating worrying about how they are ever going to get things done, how others might perceive them. They may worry that they will never feel better. Barbara Van Dahlen, a licensed clinical psychologist and the host of the podcast Inner Space with Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen
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When To See A Provider
Its not unusual to have brief periods of anxiety or low mood. But if your symptoms are interfering with your daily life, it might be helpful to talk to a provider. They can make an appropriate diagnosis and discuss treatment options.
If you’re not sure how severe your symptoms are, consider asking close friends and family. They can tell you if they have noticed any changes in your behavior. Some people also find it helpful to track their symptoms in writing for a week or two. This written record can then be shared with a provider. Reading or talking to other people with depression and anxiety can be helpful, too. Hearing about their experiences can help you understand whether to seek treatment.
Addressing Your Mental Health By Identifying The Signs Of Anxiety And Depression
What is stress, and what happens when we arent able to cope well with stress? Stress can present itself after being fired from a job, going through a divorce or losing a loved one. Even getting married, transitioning to a new job or having a baby can cause stress.
Many people look to define stress as either good or bad, when in reality its neither. Stress is an event we view as out of our control and typically occurs outside our daily routines. How we react shapes our ability to cope with these and other similar events in the future. When individuals struggle to cope with stressful situations, depression and anxiety become more noticeable.
According to the World Health Organization, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting more than 40 million adults every year.
The most common anxiety disorders include excessive fear or anxiety of:
- Specific phobias
- Natural environment heights, storms, water
- Blood-injection injury needles, invasive medical procedures
- Locations airplanes, elevators, enclosed places
Its common for those struggling with anxiety disorders to also struggle with depression or vice versa. Close to 10 percent of the worlds population suffers from anxiety and depression. However, while anxiety and depressive disorders are highly treatable, only a small percent of affected individuals receive treatment.
- Genetics
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How Do I Know If I Have Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal reaction to many things in life that may cause us to feel threatened, challenged or under pressure. Feeling anxious from time to time is no great cause for concern. However, if you experience persistent anxiety that feels overwhelming, unforgettable and interferes with your daily life, you may be dealing with the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. Always reach out to a mental health professional for expert advice on whether your symptoms meet the criteria for a diagnosis.
Signs And Symptoms Of Anxiety
There are several types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, , social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias.
For people with anxiety disorders, the anxiety is often persistent and can get worse over time. The symptoms may interfere with their daily life.
Some of the most common signs and symptoms of anxiety include:
- Excessive fear and worry
If you experience these symptoms for six months or longer, you may have an anxiety disorder.
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Are There Different Kinds Of Depression
Being depressed can mean many things. Sometimes, depression is not visible to other people. The depressed person carries symptoms around like a terribly heavy backpack but still manages work and relationships. Sometimes, depression is apparent for others and the symptoms make it impossible to manage life in the usual way. Depressive symptoms can be divided into three categories: mild, moderate and severe depression.
You Often Feel Stuck In Vicious Loop
For me, anxiety isnt just worrying about everything that could go wrong its an obsession with all of the things that need to go right. However, having depression at the same time means Im often stuck. Im painfully aware of all of the things that could go wrong, desperate to make everything go right, and yet utterly helpless at making anything happen at all. Its a vicious, self-feeding cycle and sometimes its hard to tell which came first the anxiety or the depression. Nicole Starbuck, 29, an entrepreneur in Denver
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Depression And Anxiety Can Affect How You Perform In Your Day
Anxiety has hampered my social and romantic lives depression has weighed me down so much at times that its been hard to thrive after college. I wish Id sought therapy and tried medications before age 38. The key for me was to become more proactive with my mental health. Setting big and small goals helps. Stephen Cramer, 45, the founder of Brain Aid Fest, a non-profit festival that brings awareness to mental health
What Is An Anxiety Disorder
We all feel anxious from time to time, but anxiety disorders are more than a temporary bout of worry or fear. An anxiety disorder is characterized by persistent, overwhelming feelings of anxiety, worry, or fear that are intense enough to interfere with an individuals day-to-day life. People with an anxiety disorder experience stress that is out of proportion to the thing they are worrying about and are unable to put these negative thoughts aside. They may feel constantly tense and on-edge, even if they arent certain what exactly they are anxious about.
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They Also Share The Ability To Recover
The good news is that both are generally treatable. There are several ways to ensure that you’re able to control and even cure both anxiety and depression, provided you make the commitment to improving your mental health in the long term. No matter how hopeless it may feel, there are actual, effective ways to improve your mental health in the long term, provided you’re prepared for a few bumps that may occur along the way.
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Being Convinced Everyone Hates You
In life, some people will like you and some people will not. This is normal, right? In a healthy mindset, most people will accept the positives with the negatives. But depression is like the devil on your shoulder, whispering until people hate themselves and are convinced that everyone else hates them too.
Depression points out every tiny, perceived, possible slight and uses this as evidence that everyone hates you. This perception of hate tends to make people with depression feel even more depressed.
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How To Tell The Difference Between Mania And Anxiety
Depression isn’t just a single condition. Bipolar disorder, for example, can also cause what’s known as “mania,” which is a period of pronounced, intense energy that can also come with what resembles anxiety symptoms.
Commonalities Between Anxiety and Depression
One of the reasons that the two have a great deal in common is because both cause changes in neurotransmitter function – especially serotonin. Low serotonin levels play a role in both anxiety and depression. Dopamine and epinephrine play a role in both as well.
Because of these shared neurotransmitters, they can also share symptoms, and the two can contribute to the development of each other. The most common is anxiety eventually causing depression. Poor coping combined with intense anxiety symptoms can commonly lead to a feeling of hopelessness that creates depressive symptoms, and when left unchecked it’s possible that the depression becomes more severe.
It’s also important to note that both anxiety and depression – because of the neurotransmitters involved – can feel natural, and thus both often do not receive adequate treatment. Someone with depression rarely thinks to themselves “I have depression” because their mind genuinely believes the emotions they feel are “true.” Someone with anxiety often feels the same way, though with anxiety people are a bit more prone to realize they have a problem.
How Anxiety And Depression Can Be Treated Together
Both medications and therapy can be used to treat depression and anxiety. There are some types of medications that may be especially helpful for treating both. One of these types of medications are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors .
Your provider might also talk to you about lifestyle changes, which can sometimes help with depression and anxiety. Examples include getting regular sleep, eating well, and exercising. Meditating and practicing mindfulness may also help with your recovery.
Because depression and anxiety may fuel each other, it can sometimes take longer to treat their combined symptoms.
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What People With Depression Hope You Can Understand
Its not the greatest to have these things in common for these to be things that people with depression bond and empathize over. But hopefully this helps others who dont know what its like to understand why we might fall off the radar or show up a little unkempt sometimes. Were fighting these feelings every day.
Sometimes, something as simple as paying bills can be considered a win.
Natasha Tracy is a renowned speaker and award-winning writer. Her blog, Bipolar Burble, consistently places among the top 10 health blogs online. Natasha is also an author with the acclaimed Lost Marbles: Insights into My Life with Depression & Bipolar to her credit. She is considered a major influencer in the area of mental health. She has written for many sites including HealthyPlace, HealthLine, PsychCentral, The Mighty, Huffington Post and many others.
Develop An Action Plan For Anxiety And Depression
Your action plan for anxiety and depression will cover a wide range of options. The plan can include exercise, stress management and how to improve your sleep. You may be referred to a psychologist who can help you address things like negative thinking and how to manage difficulties in your relationships.
Some people think its weak to admit theyre going through a tough time, but if you have anxiety or depression, you cant just snap out of it or pull yourself together. Theres more to it than that.
If you think you may have anxiety or depression, and want to take action, start by talking to someone you trust keeping it to yourself can make things worse. Discuss your situation with a friend, partner, family member a colleague or your GP.
Beyond Blue has put together information about how men can create an action plan.
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Do I Have Anxiety Here’s How To Self
If you think you may have anxiety, you can self-test using an online instrument, such as:
- Anxiety.org’s Anxiety Quiz
- Anxiety & Depression Association of America’s Screening Tools
Self-screening tools do not replace a mental health professional. They are designed for the results to be shared with your doctor to inform further discussion about diagnosis and treatment.
You may be one of nearly 40 million people in the United States who experience an anxiety disorder in any given year, or 18% of all Americans.
Online screening tools are not a replacement for a diagnosis from a licensed mental health professional. We encourage you to share your results with your healthcare team.
You Get Exhausted Physically And Mentally
The first blade is the hardships of dealing with depression and anxiety, such as how depression can make you feel so physically and mentally tired and frustrated, but the anxiety will keep you up all night worrying about every little thing and wondering will the depression ever end.
The second blade of the sword is having depression and anxiety as a minority. Being a black woman with mental health issues adds more stress because in the black community, were always being told we need to be strong and never talk about our mental health. I grew up with a what happens in this house stays in this house mentality, as have many other black people with mental health issues. This to me has always been exhausting, because mental health issues in my community have always been so hushed. Jasmin Christal Pierre, 25, creator and CEO ofThe Safe Place in New Orleans
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