Saturday, March 23, 2024

Does Anxiety Turn Into Depression

Physical Signs Of Anxiety

How Your Brain Can Turn Anxiety into Calmness

The physical state of anxiety can be conceptualized 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

Depression is primarily characterized by changes in usual physical processes from baseline, such as:

  • Difficulty with concentration, focus, and memory due to ruminative thought processes or other physical symptoms
  • 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

Who Experiences Social Anxiety

2015 review found that roughly 8% to 13% of people will experience social anxiety disorder in their lifetime, but this can vary depending on your culture.

Research from 2017 also suggests that while women are more likely to experience severe social anxiety symptoms, men may be more likely to seek treatment for it.

How To Seek Help

When seeking more formalized help for anxiety or depression, start by speaking with your primary care physician.

You can also research local referrals via national organizations including:

Bear in mind 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 . Therefore, it is critical to find a professional you trust and with whom you feel comfortable speaking about your symptoms.

It is equally important to make sure that you find a clinician that you can afford. Before making the commitment to ongoing care, you may want to meet with a couple of providers to get a feel for their therapeutic styles and their treatment recommendations. You can then use this information to determine which path forward feels best to you.

Don’t Miss: How To Get Out Of Deep Depression

How To Cope With Anxiety And Depression

Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand. Heres what you need to know if they strike simultaneously.

Aleksei Morozov/iStock

Do you sometimes worry so much that it interferes with your everyday activities? Or feel so blue that it completely clouds your outlook? Do you often experience these or similar feelings together? Youre not the only one.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America , anxiety disorders which include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder are the most common mental health problem among U.S. adults, affecting 18.1 percent of the population each year. And mood disorders which include major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder are the leading cause of disability.

Moreover, the incidence of developing depression in addition to an anxiety disorder or vice versa is high. Many people with major depression also suffer from severe and persistent anxiety, notes Sally R. Connolly, LCSW, in Louisville, Kentucky. And some experts estimate that 60 percent of people with anxiety will also have symptoms of depression, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness .

RELATED: Black Mental Health: Fighting Stigma and Building Trust

Prevalence Of Anxiety And Depression In Men

Stress, Anxiety And Depression Are Caused

On average, one in 8 men will have depression and one in 5 men will experience anxiety at some stage of their lives.

Men are less likely to experience anxiety and depression than women. They are also less likely to talk about it. This increases the risk of their anxiety or depression going unrecognised and untreated.

Untreated depression is a high risk factor for suicide. In Australia, there are about 3,000 suicides each year. Around 75% of people who take their lives are men, with an average of almost 7 men taking their lives every day.

Its important to remember that anxiety and depression are conditions, not weaknesses, and effective treatments are available.

and depression not only for you, but for your friends and family. Visit Beyond Blue to find out more about anxiety.

Read Also: How To Know If You Are Diagnosed With Depression

Aim To Get A Good Nights Sleep

Not enough sleep can worsen symptoms of both anxiety and depression but too much sleep can also affect well-being and mood.

Experts recommend most adults get

These tips can help you get the sleep you need:

  • Make a habit of going to bed and getting up around the same time each day.
  • Turn off electronic devices about 1 hour before bedtime.
  • Create a soothing ritual that helps you wind down before bed.
  • Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet.

How Are They Different

The main difference between depression and anxiety is the symptoms. Depression is a persistent feeling of sadness. You also have no energy and you lose interest in activities you once loved. Some people with depression think about hurting themselves.

Anxiety involves fear or worry that you can’t control. Depending on the type of anxiety you have, the worry can surface during everyday activities like meeting new people.

Also Check: I Am Very Sad And Depressed

How Common Are Anxiety And Depression

Anxiety disorders affect nearly 20 percent of American adults. That means millions are beset by an overabundance of the fight-or-flight response that primes the body for action. When youre stressed, the brain responds by prompting the release of cortisol, natures built-in alarm system. It evolved to help animals facing physical threats by increasing respiration, raising the heart rate and redirecting blood flow from abdominal organs to muscles that assist in confronting or escaping danger.

These protective actions stem from the neurotransmitters epinephrine and norepinephrine, which stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and put the body on high alert. But when they are invoked too often and indiscriminately, the chronic overstimulation can result in all manner of physical ills, including digestive symptoms like indigestion, cramps, diarrhea or constipation, and an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

Depression, while less common than chronic anxiety, can have even more devastating effects on physical health. While its normal to feel depressed from time to time, more than 6 percent of adults have such persistent feelings of depression that it disrupts personal relationships, interferes with work and play, and impairs their ability to cope with the challenges of daily life. Persistent depression can also exacerbate a persons perception of pain and increase their chances of developing chronic pain.

Does Anxiety Cause Depression

Escaping the Anxiety/Burnout/Depression Cycle

It depends. If your anxiety is a temporary emotional response, its not likely it may lead to symptoms of depression.

But if you notice that your signs of anxiety become a recurring experience, you may be living with an anxiety disorder. In this case, suggests that its possible that anxiety leads to depression, or makes the existing symptoms of depression feel worse.

In that case, depression may be a side effect of anxiety.

Heres why and how the untreated effects of anxiety may cause depression symptoms to develop:

Also Check: How To Motivate Yourself To Get Out Of Bed Depression

How Are They Related

Both depression and anxiety are very common and often happen together. About 60% of people with anxiety also have symptoms of depression, and vice versa. Each condition can make symptoms of the other get worse or last longer.

The same genes may be behind both conditions. Anxiety and depression could also stem from the same structures or processes in the brain. Stress and trauma early in life can trigger both depression and anxiety.

If you have anxiety, you may be at greater risk for depression. Experts say avoiding the things you fear might lead to depression.

Depression Anxiety And Trauma On The Continuum Of Stress

In evolutionary view, stress response is an adaptation to the inherent volatility of environments. Evolutionary theory of depression considers it an adaptation to insurmountable adversity . Different aspects of this theory are focused on various facets of such adversity including social defeat, entrapment , loss and abandonment . In a recent conceptualization, these aspects are viewed under the general umbrella of failure, i.e., failure to meet the organism’s needs. Such concept of failure encompasses the above aspects of loss, entrapment, and defeat, and is captured in the acronym FLED . Likewise, anxiety may be considered an alternative adaptation to adversity, where the adversity is perceived as avoidable as, for example, in the smoke detector principle . Thus, ASR prepares the organism to use its resources for compensatory behaviors meant to mitigate the overload, whereas DSR prepares the organism to conserve its resources through emotional and behavioral withdrawal meant to ride the overload out. Following this theory, an adversity that persists to the point of being perceived as insurmountable would trigger an ASR to DSR transition.

Don’t Miss: How To Support Someone With Depression And Anxiety

How Are Stress Anxiety And Depression Connected

Anxiety and depression can be caused by several things, including:

  • Sleep disturbances, like difficulty falling or staying asleep
  • Distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning

Advanced signs of a major depressive disorder include:

  • Feeling down or depressed most of the day, nearly every day
  • Diminished interest in activities you once enjoyed
  • Significant changes in your weight
  • Difficulty with sleep, like difficulty falling, staying asleep or sleeping too much
  • Fatigue or frequently feeling tired
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning

Anxiety Into Depression Transition

The Real Reason Why Anxiety Turns Into Depression

It has long been known that anxiety is more likely to precede depression than the other way around and a causal link was suggested for the sequential comorbidity from anxiety to depression with anxiety response style as a moderator . It also appears that depression may inhibit the consequent anxiety . However, the notion of comorbidity implies that anxiety and depression are separate syndromes. This may be true for some anxiety disorders, but there is no compelling reason to believe that a depressive disorder can develop without any increase in anxiety.

From the standpoint of agency, the progression from protest to despair indicates a switch from the disposition of compromised self-efficacy to self-inefficacy. A central role of self-efficacy in depression and anxiety was suggested by the author of the self-efficacy concept over two decades ago . The influential learned helplessness theory of depression also points at self-inefficacy as a mediator of depressive response . More recently, the role of self-efficacy in depression has been revisited in the predictive processing and iESP frameworks.

Also Check: How Anxiety Leads To Depression

Symptoms Of Clinical Depression

Although there are different types of depression, which can have unique characteristics, there are some symptoms that most people with depression feel at one time or another, such as:

  • Feeling profoundly sad, hopeless, or empty
  • Getting angry, irritated, or frustrated easily
  • Sleeping too much or having insomnia
  • Poor concentration or trouble focusing
  • Not feeling hungry or overeating
  • A lack of interest in hobbies, work, socializing
  • Low or no sex drive
  • Self-harm, suicidal thoughts or attempts

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.

Typically, a person must have symptoms every day for two weeks or longer to be diagnosed with depression.

People with depression may also be likely to have comorbid anxiety disorders. People with bipolar disorder can experience anxiety as well, including generalized anxiety disorder .

There Is Something Wrong With My Health

This is a very common delusion that occurs in people with anxiety. It seems to have the highest prevalence in people who have panic attacks but is found across all forms of anxiety disorders.

A person with anxiety is likely to be hyper-aware of every sensation in their bodyones that most people would usually dismiss if they even noticed them. The person with anxiety, however, notices these symptoms and immediately think of the worst case scenario often jumping to serious medical conditions such as heart disease or lyme disease. It is thought that the physical symptoms that cause the anxiety are actually the cause of this additional health anxiety and delusion.

The physical symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks are nearly identical to many of the symptoms of serious health disorders which leads the person to believe their health is declining and in danger.

For people who truly experience this delusion, seeing a doctor is unlikely to fix the problem. While the doctor may inform you that you have no signs of disease and state you are in perfectly good health, you are unlikely to believe it. Remember, a delusion is a false belief maintained despite evidence against it. For many with this delusion their physical symptoms of anxiety feel too real, cause too much fear, and cause too many symptoms to be something that isn’t actually health related.

Read Also: Is Sugar Bad For Depression And Anxiety

The Most Common Anxiety Disorders Include:

  • Specific phobias Phobias could be related to animals, like spiders, cats or dogs the natural environment, such as heights, storms or being in water blood injection injury, which is a fear of needles or invasive medical procedures or locations, like airplanes, elevators or enclosed places.
  • Social anxiety disorder
  • This is an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort.

Causes Of Anxiety And Depression

How To Turn Social Anxiety Into Confidence

Each person experiences anxiety and depression differently, and the contributing factors to both conditions are going to be unique for each individual.

60% of people living with depression do not seek help for it.

Yet, major depressive disorder is a condition that often warrants support and treatment, especially when coupled with an anxiety disorder.

If you believe you may be living with depression, its highly advisable to seek the guidance of a mental health professional.

Theyll be able to assess whether or not you meet the diagnostic criteria for depression, as listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision .

In order to receive a diagnosis, at least five of nine formal symptoms must be present for longer than 2 weeks.

The formal symptoms of depression include:

  • persistent low mood that may include sadness, hopelessness, and irritability
  • disinterest in things you used to love
  • trouble with concentration and memory
  • changes in the way you talk and move, usually to a slower pace
  • changes in sleep patterns

Read Also: I Just Feel So Depressed

Actions For This Page

  • Anxiety and depression in men are common, and effective, evidence-based treatments are available.
  • Anxiety and depression are mental health conditions, not weaknesses.
  • Taking action may seem difficult but help and support is readily available.
  • Its important to seek support for anxiety and depression early the sooner the better.
  • With the right treatment, most people recover from anxiety and depression.

Do Something You Have Control Over

Regaining some control in the moment could help overwhelming feelings feel a little easier to cope with.

You dont have to take any major action, but accomplishing a short task, such as making your bed, taking a shower, or unloading the dishwasher, can help boost a sense of accomplishment. It could also offer a temporary distraction.

Also Check: Can Depression Get Worse With Age

The Relationship Between Anxiety And Depression

Helpful Links

While anxiety is generally considered a high-energy state and depression a low-energy state, anxiety and depression are more closely related than you might think. A person with depression often experiences a lot of anxiety, possibly even to the extent of having panic attacks.1

Anxiety disorders involve more than common nervousness and worry. They can cause terrifying fear about things other people wouldnt think twice about. Many people with anxiety disorders fully comprehend that their thoughts are irrational. But they still cant stop them. Feelings of losing inner control haunt them. This angst is one of the entry ways for depression.2

Reducing The Risk Of Misdiagnosis

Anxiety, Depression And Defense Mechanisms Curing Anxiety Disorder

Clinicians can take several steps to ensure they are making an accurate diagnosis. The risk of misdiagnosis is still present, but it can be reduced. If you are working with a doctor or mental health professional, there are a few approaches to your assessment they may use to help them provide the most accurate diagnosis possible.

Recommended Reading: How To Apply For Ssi For Depression

Treatment Can Counter Emotional Tolls

Although persistent anxiety and depression are highly treatable with medications, cognitive behavioral therapy and talk therapy, without treatment these conditions tend to get worse. According to Dr. John Frownfelter, treatment for any condition works better when doctors understand the pressures patients face that affect their behavior and result in clinical harm.

Dr. Frownfelter is an internist and chief medical officer of a start-up called Jvion. The organization uses artificial intelligence to identify not just medical factors but psychological, social and behavioral ones as well that can impact the effectiveness of treatment on patients health. Its aim is to foster more holistic approaches to treatment that address the whole patient, body and mind combined.

The analyses used by Jvion, a Hindi word meaning life-giving, could alert a doctor when underlying depression might be hindering the effectiveness of prescribed treatments for another condition. For example, patients being treated for diabetes who are feeling hopeless may fail to improve because they take their prescribed medication only sporadically and dont follow a proper diet, Dr. Frownfelter said.

Some changes to medical care during the pandemic have greatly increased patient access to depression and anxiety treatment. The expansion of telehealth has enabled patients to access treatment by psychotherapists who may be as far as a continent away.

Popular Articles
Related news