What’s the link?
Depression and anxiety might seem pretty distinct, for the most part. The independent symptom of low is typically a loiter abject, sad, or hopeless mood, while anxiety chiefly involves overpowering feelings of worry, nervousness, and fear. But these conditions do actually contribution several key signs. anxiety, for example, often involves excitability — and some people with depression may feel more irritable than deplorable.
Since these conditions can show up differently from person to person, you may not always know precisely what your symptoms mean. It ’ sulfur besides possible to have both natural depression and anxiety at the same time : A global survey from 2015 found that 41.6 percentage of people reported having both major depression and an anxiety disorder during the lapp 12-month period. One significant thing low and anxiety have in coarse ? Both can improve with support from a mental health professional. Below, we ’ ll break down the independent symptoms and signs of each circumstance, plus offer some strategies for coping with symptoms and tips to find support.
Questions to ask yourself
again, it ’ south very common to feel humble or deplorable, stressed or anxious, or any combination of the above, on occasion. All the same, you ’ re the best person to recognize what ’ s typical for you. If you start to experience newfangled, uncomfortable feelings, changes in your energy and motivation, or any other strange symptoms, it never hurts to connect with a mental health professional for more guidance. You might wonder whether an on-line self-test for anxiety or low could offer more insight about the changes you ’ ve noticed. Some people do find these a helpful place to start — but a more personalized route might involve asking yourself a few questions :
- Do I spend a lot more time worrying than I have in the past?
- Do I feel sad, empty, or hopeless often?
- Have I lost interest in the things I used to enjoy?
- Have I started to avoid spending time with friends and loved ones?
- Do I worry about things I can ’ t control condition to the point where I have a hard clock time thinking about anything else ?
- Do I become irritable or annoyed more quickly than I have in the past?
- Do I often feel restless, on edge, or unable to relax?
- Do I cycle through dark, unwanted, or fearful thoughts I can’t seem to stop?
- Is it difficult to fall asleep, get enough sleep, or wake up on time most days?
- Have I noticed unexplained pain, tension, or other physical symptoms?
- Do these changes affect my daily life or relationships?
If you answered “ yes ” to most of the questions above, it may be prison term to reach out to a therapist. It ’ mho always a effective idea to get professional support for symptoms that :
- last longer than a week or so
- create problems in your daily life or personal relationships
- begin to affect your physical health
In therapy, you can get patronize with exploring the symptoms you ’ ve noticed and addressing them, whether they relate to depression, anxiety, or another concern wholly.
Getting a diagnosis
If you ’ re not feeling quite like yourself, a effective adjacent footfall involves reaching out to a genial health professional or other clinician who treats anxiety and depression. Your regular clinician, if you have one, can offer a referral to a therapist. Depending on your symptoms, they might besides recommend blood, urine, and early lab testing to help rule out underlying checkup concerns. Certain health conditions, including thyroid conditions, can involve depression and other changes in temper. No single test can diagnose depression or anxiety. alternatively, your therapist will by and large start by asking questions about your symptoms, including how farseeing you ’ ve had them and how they affect your daily life, to get more insight on what you ’ ra experience. Keep in mind an open and honest description of your climate can help them better understand how you ’ ra feel, which can lead them to the right diagnosis. A adept therapist won ’ thymine evaluator you or say you shouldn ’ metric ton feel a certain way. They ’ ll listen with compassion and offer support with identify and addressing your symptoms. According to criteria in the “ Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition ( DSM-5 ), ” diagnosis requires :
- For depression: You experience at least 5 of the 9 main symptoms of depression most days, for at least 2 weeks.
- For anxiety: You experience excessive, uncontrollable worry, along with 3 additional anxiety symptoms most days, for at least 6 months.
If you meet criteria for both conditions, a mental health professional will typically diagnose both. These tips can help with your search for the correct therapist .
The bottom line
anxiety and depression can feel submerge, particularly when you live with both conditions, or aren ’ t precisely sure which stipulate you ’ re dealing with.
But you don ’ t have to manage those symptoms alone. Getting support for distress that lasts more than a few days or begins to affect your daily life can go a long way toward helping you find relief. When it comes to discussion for low and anxiety, you have enough of options. A therapist can always offer more guidance with identifying symptoms and potential triggers, and exploring the most helpful approaches to treatment .
