If you suffer from anxiety, then you may be familiar with the relationship that anxiety has with depression.

Indeed, under the state of depression, a person experiences a high amount of anxiety that can lead to anxiety attacks and these attacks create more & more depression. This chain forms the relationship of ‘Depression &  Severe Anxiety’. Let’s try to understand it more deeply.

In life, we have to deal with a number of different kinds of things like money, relationships, job etc. and all these things sometimes bring a tremendous amount of stress in our life. Traumatic events like death of a loved one, divorce etc. create an overwhelming amount of fatigue and sadness. It also leads to changes in appetite or finding it hard to sleep peacefully. All these things can culminate into depression.

A person who is suffering from depression can easily develop an anxiety or panic disorder symptoms in their lifetime. Left un-handled in some cases, depression and anxiety can affect a person at the same time. When the symptoms of two of these negative elements occur simultaneously, they turn the life of the suffering person into a living hell. A person who is suffering depression & anxiety at the same time can become prone to commit suicide if not treated.

One anxiety form called ‘Post Traumatic Stress Disorder’, is referring to depression that can result from a traumatic event. War veterans experience this commonly.

There are many links between the different depression and anxiety disorders. Anxiety and depression drastically restrict the ability of a person to live life to the fullest and be active. Some people do not leave their home due to extreme fear.

The symptoms of depression and anxiety become more severe when they occur in combination.

The Differences -

Although there are many similarities, there are some basic differences that we should understand. Depression is visible in most cases, but anxiety is not always visible.

When we talk of depression, we have to understand that this element is responsible for creating negative emotions like anger, hopelessness and despair in a person. A person facing depression has low energy levels and they often feel overwhelmed by the different kinds of daily life tasks. Their personal & social lives are always disturbed.

A person who is suffering from  panic disorder symptoms or anxiety experiences fear and panic in situations that would often be “normal” for others. The suffering person feels panic attacks without any good reason behind them. These people live with a constant sense of fear, anxiousness & worry. These cause them to put restrictions in their daily lives at home & work.

Depression Effects -
1. Sadness
2. Poor Concentration
3. Fatigue
4. Insomnia
5. Weight Loss
6. Nervousness & other negative emotions

Anxiety Effects -
1. Heart palpitations.
2. Breathe Shortness.
3. Nausea
4. Dizziness
5. Sweating
6. Difficulty in Chest
7. Numbness

Anxiety & Depression Treatment –

Anxiety attacks occur at an earlier age compared to depression, so treating anxiety earlier can prevent the development of depression. But, for people who are suffering from both depression and anxiety, it is highly required to treat depression first and the reason is that the anxiety can only be just a symptom of the depression. In many cases it has been observed that when the depression is treated first, the symptoms of anxiety stop occurring naturally.

1. Cognitive-behavioral Therapy – This is the one of the best anxiety treatments for both of these two negative behaviors. This is a great therapy that guides a patent to the root causes (what causes anxiety) of their negative emotions and thinking patterns that trigger stress, fear and depression. CBT works by eliminating the thoughts of a person that are creating the feelings of danger and despair. Eventually the ideas no longer triggers fear.

2. Relaxation Techniques – These techniques work effectively for both depression and anxiety. There are different types of techniques that give positive results for frequent anxiety attacks. It also includes breathing and muscle relaxation techniques. Yoga breathing, Qigong and Thai Chi as well as consciousness techniques work as an anxiety remedy as well as provide a natural anxiety relief.

3. Healthy Lifestyle –

*A patient should eat healthy foods in their diet. Just think “live foods”  – fruits and vegatables. Sleeping well is important and do exercise which triggers the body to produce it’s own “happy chemical” called serotonin.

*Another life changing suggestion is to practice Yoga meditation techniques that give relief for stress, depression & anxiety. Sometimes yoga, and a “live foods” diet alone can be the only anxiety remedy needed.

* Avoid alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, drugs and caffeine as they worsen the condition.

*Also, Hypnotherapy and acupuncture are great anxiety treatments for both disorders.

Click our Anxiety Store Page above for many of these resources.

Anxiety and depression can seem closely related yet they both can be treated easily with these effective depression and anxiety treatments. All these are natural methods that do not cause any side effects.

We always recommend that you do all you can to avoid drugs as they are harmful for both mind & body. If you and your doctor agree that you need a medication, make sure you address the actual cause with the above therapies in combination. Ant-anxiety drugs only hide the symptoms and can be addictive.  Get to the root cause of panic disorder symptoms.