Depression versus Anxiety

 As May is celebrated as Mental Awareness Month, mental health and human emotions are of great significance and are often neglected under societal pressure. Interpersonal communication is negligible due to hectic routine and person don’t open to other like friends, spouse and family members as they won’t listen to them or might judge them.

Specifically, talking about Pakistan the emotional counseling is not recognized, being vulnerable is called weakness or emotional tantrums. This emotional imbalance is stereotyped based on gender. Socially we are not accepting depression and anxiety as a medical disease rather than emotional drama.

Humans sometimes cannot interpret what they are feeling, as they are sad or happy. This emotional confusion with different aspects of life makes them sad, they felt furious, things seem to appear bigger than normal, they cannot found an escape from this situation without external help or counseling. These uninterpreted feelings are considered as depression or anxiety.

The misconception underlying in people's minds that depression or anxiety is the same thing or sometimes coined as one.

We will discuss in detail and compare these terms, ‘Anxiety’ and 'Depression’

Relationship between Depression and Anxiety

Biological components i.e., amino acids that are concrete in nature, form together a larger molecule called neurotransmitters which produces abstract impacts like emotions. As stated above, anxiety and depression share the same physiological basis. Serotonin is the main factor with other chemicals like epinephrine and dopamine.

Disturbances in the levels of these neurotransmitters cause disturbance in mood. Most psychologists considered these conditions as two sides of the same coin.

But specific diagnosis is needed to differentiate them apart.

Symptoms of Anxiety

• Tension about future
• Uncontrollable thoughts
• Fear of death and incompleteness

These markers define the type of anxiety either, is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or social anxiety disorder (SAD)

Symptoms of Depression

Depression is considered a mood disorder characterized by delirium, anxiety, and other symptoms which persist for more than four weeks in a person is called depression.

Depression is characterized by 

• Sadness
• Hopelessness
• Restlessness
• Worthlessness
• Suicide or suicidal thoughts

Symptoms of Anxiety

• Difficulty in concentration
• Delirium
• Anxious behavior
• Frustration
• Shortness in breath
• Headache and dizziness
• Distress stomach

Symptoms of Depression

• Loss of appetite
• Laziness
• Impaired memory
• Loss of physical keep up
• Loss of interest
• Dysphoria
• Feeling aloof

The treatment regimen for depression and anxiety

Self-initiated Approach

If you have mild symptoms, fluctuation, or have received formal treatment before and are concerned about a recurrence, self-help intervention can be a good starting point.

Psychotherapy

There are several types of psychotherapy for depression and/or anxiety. In structural psychotherapy (such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)), anxiety and depression may be treated slightly differently. 6 For both of these problems, CBT will teach you how to use thought traps that do not help. Moreover, for these two issues, CBT may ask you to proceed more behaviorally.

In psychodynamic psychotherapy, the treatment of anxiety and depression may seem similar rather than different. You will be asked to speak freely about the past and present to understand the contradictions behind the mind and subconscious ideas.

Medications

Selected serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and other anti-anxiety drugs are some of the other medicines that may be used depending on your symptoms.

Conclusion

We don’t talk about anxiety and depression anymore but still, they are our lifelong pals, and we didn't do anything to destigmatize talking about it. Do not over-schedule yourself, you deserved to be heard so, first hear yourself and let the others be heard.