Understanding the Connection Between Anxiety and Depression

You may not have realized it, but you already know the connection between anxiety and depression. Many people suffer from both conditions at once. Others do not suffer from either of these conditions, but they do share one common trait with those who do suffer from depression. This is that they all tend to become very unhappy when depressed.


Those who are anxious often times will have a constant feeling of worry or fear. This type of worry can turn into depression because the person thinks he or she is not able to achieve certain goals or he or she does not feel happy about life. When anxiety becomes more serious, the person may experience chest pains or even shortness of breath. He or she will then begin to feel hopeless about life. It's only a matter of time before he or she begins to see a doctor and ask for some help.

When depression is present along with anxiety, the person may feel isolated or feel as though no one understands him or her. This feeling of isolation is the worst feeling and can lead to thoughts of suicide. When anxiety rises, so does depression. There are those who say that one is just depressed and then there are those who say they have both anxiety and depression.

How do we understand the connection between anxiety and depression? By looking at how we view life. When we are anxious, we are usually pursuing an idea of perfection. For example, if you want to lose weight, you may feel as though you must do it all by yourself, that no one else can do it for you and that you are destined to be overweight forever.

If the person is depressed, he or she also has that same sense of dissatisfaction. The person feels that he or she needs to be perfect so that others will appreciate or see the effort he or she is putting in. The idea that nothing is ever going right, the pain of failure, the fear of being abandoned, and loss of interest or pleasure in things that once interested a person are all part of what is known as anxiety.

If you ask someone who is experiencing anxiety and depression, he or she will tell you that these feelings are extremely complicated. You can ask that same person to explain it and they may be able to do so. However, it's more than possible for them to feel like they are unable to talk about their problem because it is too painful to do so. That is one of the reasons that it's so important to get professional help when you are suffering from anxiety or depression. Only then can you begin to find out if there is a real connection between anxiety and depression.

The biggest problem with anxiety and depression, especially in relationships, is that it can take control and be used against you. If someone is constantly feeling depressed, even if they are doing everything right, then that can have a negative impact on them. It can make them more moody and more prone to engage in irrational behavior such as driving too fast, losing control in an argument, or even stealing. These types of actions can then snowball and lead to real problems in the relationship. Depression can cause a person to do things that they would never normally do, which can also have serious consequences for the relationship.


So, if you are someone who is experiencing anxiety and depression symptoms and are having trouble understanding the connection between anxiety and depression, you should definitely look into talking to a trained psychotherapist. There are many types of psychotherapy available and the wrong therapist can easily make the situation worse. It's important to find a therapist that understands the connection between anxiety and depression and can help you deal with it. A therapist just needs to be that someone who can offer emotional support. They can't diagnose you or prescribe medicine, but they can offer you the emotional support that you need. That alone is a huge benefit and is often what people need to feel better about themselves.