The Difference Between Anxiety and Depression

Many people choose to seek therapy due to feeling symptoms of depression and anxiety. We all have heard the terms “feeling depressed” or “feeling anxious”, but what does that even mean? People also have anxiety and/or depression which adds more levels to these symptoms such as the severity and the frequency of them. At times, it doesn’t even feel like two separate things, but one big condition overshadowing everything.

Most of us have an idea of what it can look like, and may be able to categorize each symptom to either condition, but what about those who experience both anxiety and depression? Which symptoms belong to depression, and which belong to anxiety? It’s not always easy to tell which condition is causing symptoms if one experiences both. Mental health is just complicated like that.

The reason for this could be that anxiety and depression sometimes cause a lot of overlap when it comes to their symptoms. For example, anxiety may cause a person to have trouble in social settings or making decisions, but that can also be said for someone who has depression and is experiencing lack of motivation or interest. Issues in sleep patterns also can be present for both anxiety and depression. Similar symptoms, but the root cause or trigger could be different.

Plus, feeling anxious and feeling depressed can be a symptom of each other.

I mean, they’re both mood disorders, so their presentation can easily mimic each other.

Also, for those who have both anxiety and depression, it is possible to feel both symptoms…. for both conditions…at the same time.

Talk about more complication.

What do we make of all of this then?

With all that being said, at the end of the day, anxiety and depression are still two separate conditions, and it is important to learn the differences between the two. The main difference between the two are the root of the symptoms itself.

Anxiety involves fear and worry of things that we can’t control. It can come in the form of overthinking, a rapid heart rate, and feeling the urge to avoid situations that can trigger more anxiety. The root cause can be many things, such as a traumatic event, family history, or just built-up stress. It is mostly tied to fear as many of the triggers are fear-based.

Having a diagnosis for a specific anxiety disorder may also indicate that this would be the more prevalent condition.

Social anxiety = fear of social situations.

Separation anxiety = fear of separation.

Agoraphobia = fear of being overwhelmed or unable to get help in time of need.

You get the idea.

Depression is more of a prolonged feeling of sadness. It can appear in waves, and signs can include but are not limited to feelings of hopelessness, lack of interest in things there used to be interest in, and increased irritability. There’s no exact cause of depression, like many conditions, there are many factors that play a part in the presentation of a mental illness. Like anxiety, depression can also appear from trauma, family history, and stress.

Depression might stand out more than anxiety in cases where these symptoms appear after a major life event or specific turn of events.

After childbirth = Postpartum depression.

Gloomier seasons = Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

Grief = There are no specific diagnosis tied to a loss of a loved one, but depression following such an event is possible.

Also, bringing up these diagnoses are merely to provide examples for this topic and are not meant to imply causation for your specific situation.  Everyone experiences symptoms of anxiety and depression differently and the experience is unique to everyone. It is important to discuss any questions and concerns about a possible diagnosis with a therapist or psychiatrist.

Now that both depression and anxiety have been thoroughly differentiated, what now?

Well, like I said before, talking to a trusted mental health professional can help as they are trained to identify these root causes. While it might not be entirely possible or necessary to know the root cause of these symptoms in treatment, it can help you learn more about yourself and your experience, thus, learning the best approach for treatment going forward. This can decrease a sense of worry or uncertainty about their symptoms and maybe can increase a sense of motivation for seeking help after knowing what to look for.

If I can add to the similarities between anxiety and depression, it would be that support is possible and available for both. Whether it is for anxiety, depression, or a mix of both.

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If you got this far on my blog, thank you so much for reading!! I hope I did the topic justice!!!

 -Kimberly Rivera, LPC