You’ve probably heard both terms many times, possibly used at the same time. But do you really know them well? And do you know the difference between depression and anxiety?
With an incidence ratio of one in four people worldwide, mental illness is the order of the day. We are going to see some very common ones and their differences.
What do the terms depression and anxiety mean?
A fundamental difference between the two definitions is that the first refers to a single mental condition, while the second refers to a group of mental conditions.
On the one hand, depression is essentially an illness, although it can present many different symptoms (see below) and affected people can suffer from it in different ways.
On the other hand, anxiety is an umbrella that includes a range of more specific conditions. Of these, the most prevalent is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which affects more than 7% of the population, according to figures from the Spanish Society for the Study of Anxiety and Stress.
But anxiety also covers other less common conditions that you may have ever heard of. These include phobias, panic and adjustment disorders, and the stress reaction.
In this article, we are going to focus on GAD, as there is a wide range of conditions that can fall under the umbrella of the term anxiety.
How do depression and anxiety make you feel?
GAD and depression are similar in that their main symptoms are related to the mood and feelings of the patient, but they also have physical symptoms.
Mood and feelings
Depression is characterized by low mood, and a loss of interest or enjoyment of most activities, over a period of two or more weeks. These are the essential symptoms of depression. There are other symptoms related to mood that can be experienced by a person with depression, such as:
- feelings of guilt
- feelings of despair
- feelings of worthlessness, low self-esteem, or self-confidence
- thoughts of death or suicide
Similarly, GAD targets two essential symptoms: anxiety excessive and worrying, most of the time for more than six months, and difficulty controlling these feelings. Again, other symptoms may also manifest such as:
- feeling on edge or not being able to rest
- irritability
With GAD, you can become very preoccupied with a host of mundane issues on a daily basis, without realizing that there is a logical cause to explain your anxiety.
Physical symptoms
We find some physical symptoms that appear in both GAD and depression:
- fatigue / tiredness
- lack of concentration
- being restless or unable to sit still
- Difficulty falling asleep
But there are also some unique symptoms in each of these conditions. In the case of depression, physical symptoms can include:
- weight changes, often caused by changes in appetite
- slowness of movements
The physical effects of TAG include:
- muscle tension and aches
- headache
- sweating
- dizziness
- intestinal problems
- fast heartbeat and shortness of breath
Now, all these symptoms can be signs of other problems with your physical health.
Can you suffer from anxiety and depression at the same time?
It is difficult to determine, as both depression and GAD have some different and similar characteristics. To further complicate matters, it is possible that someone could experience depression and anxiety at the same time.
In fact, it is not only possible, but it is also quite common. Half of the people with GAD will also have depression. When conditions coexist in this way, they can be more severe and long-lasting than usual.
It is also possible to be diagnosed with one of these conditions and have the symptoms of the other (but at a level that the other would not be diagnosed). The way the symptoms coincide makes it difficult to be precise with statistics, but estimating the number of people with depression who also experience anxiety symptoms can be as high as 85% of cases.
Many experts consider mixed anxiety-depressive disorder in a separate category. This is the case in which a person can have symptoms of both conditions, but without being severe enough for them to have a diagnosis of each condition. Either way, this combination can cause considerable suffering and affect a person’s daily life.
Similarities in treatments for depression and anxiety
Cases of depression and GAD are treated similarly. In both diseases, two main categories of treatments are offered: psychological therapies and medications.
Psychological therapies involve the description of thoughts and feelings to a qualified professional. An example is cognitive-behavioral therapy, which aims to identify the way in which thoughts, feelings and behaviors interact.
Medications called antidepressants are used to treat both conditions and are effective for many people. The most common are the so-called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), although there are other medications that your doctor may recommend.
Treatment can often include a combination of psychological and medication therapies. This approach can be customized for the individual and their specific situation. The doctor can also evaluate how to manage lifestyle problems as part of treatment, if he thinks they may be contributing to depression or anxiety.
GAD and depression are two different conditions. But they are mentioned side by side due to overlapping symptoms, the fact that they can appear at the same time, and similar approaches to their treatments. If you have trouble keeping your spirits up, or you recognize some of these symptoms, then it’s important to ask for help. Don’t worry about calling it anxiety or depression. What is relevant is to contact your GP so that he can learn more about the situation and offer the necessary support.
