What Is Anxiety Depression

In the world of mental problems and healthcare, where accurate diagnosis requires immediate treatment, anxiety and depression are generally considered to be two different disorders. But in the real world, most people suffer from both these conditions simultaneously. In truth, most mood related conditions are simply a combination of anxiety and depression. According to surveys, almost 60-70% of the people suffering from depression also have anxiety. Similarly, those people suffering from chronic anxiety also show symptoms of depression.

Anxiety depression raises the risk of suicide and impairs all sorts of functioning – be it in relationships or at work. In the last few years, researchers and clinicians alike have been trying to solve the problem and have moved towards a new and different conclusion: anxiety and depressions are not two different disorders that coexist with each other. They are but two different faces of one disorder only. They are two sides to the same coin.

What is anxiety depression?

Anxiety depression disorder or bipolar disorder is a very difficult condition. Not only does it affect your ability to think clearly and use careful judgment, but it also manages to affect your emotional well-being. Normal habits, like eating and sleeping are also adversely affected.

The symptoms for anxiety depression disorder vary from individual to individual, but usually include feelings of frustrations and agitation. Most people complain of feeling restless, and mindless, and pacing is a common symptom as is the overwhelming feeling of being ‘keyed up’.

How does bipolar disorder start? The source of bipolar disorder is unknown but researchers say that most people tend to bottle up anxiety within them. These disorganized and racing thoughts build up and explode like a volcanic eruption. Stress is generally the main trigger for depressive episodes in people suffering from anxiety depression disorder. Stress generally leads to anxiety, which in turn can lead to severe depression – two of the main symptoms of someone suffering from bipolar disorder.

When a person is experiencing anxiety, the brain will respond by releasing cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream. This will cause the person in question to experience feelings of heightened awareness and an increased heart rate that leads to uneasiness and shakiness. Personal relationships and job performance suffer. People suffering from this disorder are generally irritable, feel anxious always and are convinced that disaster is about to strike. They will eventually begin to avoid crowded places, socializing and anything that could make them uncomfortable.

Attacking Anxiety and Depression

The treatment for anxiety and depression disorder varies from individual to individual due to the levels of severity and underlying causes. Treatment entirely depends on prior diagnosis and evaluation and includes a combination of medication, group therapy or psychotherapy. Here are some common methods of treatment for anxiety and depression disorder:

• Medications – Antidepressants are generally described, which are used to soothe the neuro transmitters in the brain so that anxiety and depression to an extent are relieved. Other medications prescribed are MAOI’s or Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors, or SSRI’s or Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors. Some drugs help by controlling the enzyme production that in turn affects these neuro-transmitters. While other drugs control the levels of Serotonin produced. Whatever may be prescribed, the doctor is the best person to choose the kind of treatment you will have to undergo.
• Psychotherapy – be it the creative or verbal type, psychotherapy is based on many therapeutic systems like psychodynamic psychotherapy, humanistic psychotherapy, systemic psychotherapy, integrated psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, existential psychotherapy, and strategic psychotherapy – or it could be a combination of these systems.
• Lifestyle changes – When treating anxiety and depression disorders, lifestyle changes are also required to be made. From fitness and exercise regimes to dietary restrictions to improving your social life, the treatments can vary.

Whatever may be the method of attacking anxiety depression, ultimately it is up to the patient suffering from this disorder – whether or not he wants to rid himself of the condition and how open he is to treatment.