Anxiety and Depression

Here’s the relationship between Anxiety and Depression.

Anxiety and depression are different conditions, but they commonly occur together.

The likelihood of acquiring depression is much higher when an anxiety disorder exists. One can easily trigger the other, and anxiety and depression can reveal common symptoms.

Sometimes events create a “perfect storm.”

That storm happens when multiple negative factors come together at the same time. Carol* was going through this experience. Her husband got laid off from work, she went through the experience of a miscarriage, and her mother got diagnosed with breast cancer. Those events made Carol feel uncertain about the future. She had plenty to worry about.

Occasional worry is a normal part of life; however, when it lasts six months or longer and interferes with your daily activities, it results in an anxiety disorder, which was Carol’s situation. She felt restless, agitated, and on the edge.

Carol had trouble concentrating, sleeping, felt irritable, would tire quickly, and experienced muscle tension. She felt knots in her shoulder muscles. She thought, “There’s no way out.”

She thought constantly – “How can I support my husband and Mom when I am falling apart?” That question kept repeating in her mind like a broken record, especially before going to bed, which kept her up most nights.

The complexity of what Carol was dealing with left her in deep depression.

Coming out of the storm took work.

Carol found the strength to agree to go to her medical doctor and received an antidepressant. She felt the need to address her mental and emotional well-being and decided to get help dealing with her thoughts.

During our time together, she learned to find ways to address what was happening in the present, learned coping skills, and changed behaviors causing problems. We identified solutions to her concerns, and she learned how to replace negative and unproductive thought patterns with more realistic and useful ones.

Carol grasped the concept of the way thoughts affect how one feels. She became very intentional with the type of thoughts she allowed in her mind. This new feeling of self-awareness and self-control empowered her and gave Carol a new direction in her life. She could see the light as she was learning to navigate out of this life storm and was able to establish goals and begin to put action towards achieving her goals.

Don’t delay your process to a healthier you. Call me, and let’s get started on your journey.

*Name and story are composite narratives and do not reflect an actual client.