Anxiety Depression
Anxiety and Depression are commonly associated together in the mental health profession. Unreasonable fear or apprehension marks anxiety and prolonged sadness, feelings of despair, etc. mark depression. Separately and/or coupled together, anxiety and depression are serious mental disorders. However, a person may be uniquely afflicted by depression that is caused by anxiety or known as Anxiety Depression.
It is important to acknowledge that more than half of all depressive disorder patients are diagnosed with some sort of anxiety disorder. Depressive disorder can exist without anxiety disorder and vice versa; and they can be treated separately or concurrently. However, part and parcel to anxiety depression is the occurrence of the anxiety which precedes the prolonged depressive episode.
Anxiety depression is clinical depression caused by anxiety, not the other way around. The person will experience some sort of apprehension (anxiety) which is irrational (under the same circumstances a “normal” person will know the fear to be unfounded). Furthermore, the fear is further amplified by the person’s inability to control it and its persistence. The person afflicted by anxiety will lose self-esteem, self-confidence, and happiness as a result of their dysfunction and maladjustment. In turn, this helplessness breeds despair and depression in a prolonged form, otherwise known as clinical depression.
Anxiety depression can be a vicious circle of anxiety episodes leading to depressive episodes and further increasing anxiety. Etc. This cycle can spiral out of control causing complete dysfunction in every facet of the person’s life when left to its own devices. However, anxiety depression is a treatable condition. Consult your doctor, never attempt to self-treat; and if the situation is ominous, please dial 9-1-1 for immediate help.
Unfortunately, there is no “silver-bullet” approach to the treatment of anxiety depression. Much like the treatments for other disorders, the treatment plan is dependent on several complex factors and variables, such as personality, chemistry, and genetics. Depression induced by anxiety (anxiety depression) treatment is often realized in the same form. The disorders are treated separately, with medication, therapy, or both. Coupling anti-depressants and anti-anxiety prescription drugs have been one approach to treating the disorder.
Also, psychotherapy conducted by a licensed mental health professional using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or other traditional therapeutic techniques which address and uncover the source of the patient’s anxiety depression. The depression or anxiety spectrum of the disorder can be so debilitating that traditional talk-therapies may not be effective. In this case, medication should be used to bring the patient up to a treatable condition that is manageable by the therapist and the patient.
Not to be confused with the separate anxiety and depression disorders or anxiety caused by depression, anxiety depression is depression induced or caused by anxiety. This combination can be especially difficult to diagnose because both are so often linked together. There are effective treatments for the disorder which can involve prescription medication (often anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs), psychotherapy, or both. It is imperative to seek professional help when dealing with anxiety depression and it is just as important to have open and direct communication with one’s mental health professional in order to receive the appropriate diagnosis.
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