Depression vs. Anxiety: What you need to know

Depression and anxiety frequently occur together, which can make it difficult to recognize and diagnose each. Depression and anxiety are two of the most prevalent mental illnesses that affect millions of individuals globally. Though both are mood disorders that greatly impact a person's everyday life, they have different signs, causes, and treatments.

Depression is a mood disorder characterized by sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest or pleasure in most activities, most of the time, almost every day. It's an ongoing condition that can significantly interfere with a person's quality of life. Symptoms of depression may interfere with performance at work or school, interpersonal relationships, and self-care tasks, and can lead to suicidal or self-destructive thinking. Whereas, anxiety is fretfulness, dread, or apprehension regarding things or events that may or might not happen. The most common of the anxiety disorders is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), but other ones are social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and specific phobias. Anxiety can range from mild, transient feelings of nervousness to more intense and overwhelming experiences that can interfere with day-to-day functioning.

While symptoms, such as difficulty concentrating and sleep disturbances, also have some differences. The following is a detailed explanation of the differences in symptoms and what they mean.

The Main Differences Between Depression and Anxiety

Emotional Experience:

• Depression is primarily associated with hopelessness, sadness, and the absence of pleasure in life.
• Anxiety is chiefly characterized by an excess of worry, fear, and nervousness about potential threats or problems.

Thought Patterns:

• Depression is marked by negative self-esteem and expectations about the future. People feel worthless or helpless.
• Anxiety will likely have a component of worrying excessively about the future and an idea of impending doom. People will worry about what can go wrong or anticipate danger when no danger is near.

Physical Experience: 

• Anxiety is likely to express itself physically in the form of racing heart, shaking, muscle tension, and lightheadedness.
• Depression is likely to involve low energy, fatigue, and sleep disturbances that may be due to not getting out of bed or engaging in daily activities.

Co-Occurrence of Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety are two distinct illnesses but often occur together. In some cases, one illness will bring about or exacerbate the other.

For example, a worrier may begin to feel hopeless about being unable to end worrying, and this would contribute to depression. Conversely, a depressed individual may begin worrying excessively about the future or be concerned about recovering, worsening their depression.

Co-existing depression and anxiety could make the diagnosis and management difficult as symptoms of both illnesses usually overlap. Therapy options for managing both illnesses concurrently are the typical interventions demanded by the body in recovery.

Treatment Options for Depression and Anxiety

When depression and anxiety co-occur, treatment is most often a combination of therapy and medication. It is essential for an individual with both to consult a mental health professional who can tailor a treatment plan that addresses all areas of their mental health. But if you are interested in the differences between treatments for depression and anxiety individually, here are some of the most common treatments:

Treatment for Depression

Psychotherapy: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), and psychodynamic therapy.

Medications: Antidepressant medications, such as SSRIs, SNRIs, and TCAs, are usually ordered for depression. Medications help level the brain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine.

Esketamine: Esketamine, a newly FDA-approved treatment for treatment-resistant depression, is a nasal spray that acts immediately to provide relief for severe depression without having to take additional antidepressants.

Treatment for Anxiety

Psychotherapy: CBT is a good therapy for anxiety disorders and is designed to change unhelpful thinking patterns and acquire skills to manage it.

Medications: SSRIs, SNRIs, benzodiazepines (in the short term), and beta-blockers (to manage body symptoms) are medications that are used to treat anxiety.

Relaxation Techniques: Deep breathing, meditation, and yoga can be utilized to manage the symptoms of anxiety.

Seeking Help for Depression and Anxiety

Understanding the significant differences between depression and anxiety is the first step towards better mental health. Although the two disorders both cause great levels of distress, they differ in the symptoms, affective states, and treatments taken. However, it is also worth noting that the two usually also co-occur, and this means that many individuals experience both at the same time.

By better understanding depression and anxiety, individuals are more likely to make the best choices in terms of treatment and recovery, which can eventually result in a more fulfilling life. If you or a loved one are suffering from depression, don't wait, please reach out to Wilshire Institute for Interventional Psychiatry at (310) 598-6600 today.