Anxiety and Depression
What do I do if I feel worried?
Anxiety & Depression Explained
It can be difficult to cope with both sadness and worry. Not only do you have to deal with the pain these emotions cause, but you also have to face the difficult situations that triggered them.
Of course, it’s normal to feel sadness or worry during difficult times; these emotions are an inevitable part of life. That said, sadness and worry can sometimes have a negative effect on us. These emotions can be intense, last longer than expected, or overwhelm us, without us really knowing why. If you feel that sadness and worry are impacting your well-being and your ability to enjoy life, this information on anxiety and depression might be helpful to you.
What is Mixed Anxiety and Depression?
Anxiety is intense fear or worry, while depression is a prolonged period of low mood, lack of motivation, and low energy. Although anxiety and depression can occur independently, many people experience both at the same time. Excessive worry can make you feel down and depressed; feeling depressed can make you more prone to worry; and both can be triggered by stressful situations.
It’s normal to feel down and worried from time to time, especially when you’re going through a stressful period. However, persistent and intense feelings of depression or anxiety can prevent you from enjoying life. If you feel worried, tense, depressed, sad, upset, or unmotivated almost all the time, this information may be helpful to you.
What Are The Signs of Mixed Anxiety and Depression?
Physical Symptoms
- Muscle pain and stiffness
- Nausea
- Unusual fatigue
- Change in appetite
- Excessive sweating
- Decreased interest in sex
- Unintentional weight loss or gain
Psychological Symptoms
- Persistent worry
- Feeling depressed or hopeless
- Thinking negatively
- Feeling unmotivated
- Feeling irritable
- Having trouble concentrating
- Being unable to enjoy things you used to enjoy
Any one of these symptoms could be an early warning sign of depression or anxiety. Remember that only a qualified mental health professional can diagnose depression or anxiety after a thorough assessment of your situation and personal circumstances. If you’re concerned about how you’re feeling, don’t delay speaking to your healthcare provider.
What Causes Anxiety and Depression?
There is no single cause of anxiety and depression. In fact, anxiety and depression are most likely caused by a combination of factors.
There’s strong evidence that genes play an important role in the development of anxiety and depression. Those conditions can run in families, and having a parent or sibling who suffers from anxiety or depression increases your risk of having it yourself.
Stressful life events also play a part in the development of anxiety and depression. Stressful situations like unemployment, illness, childbirth, divorce, financial insecurity, moving, retirement, or starting a new job can have a significant impact on your mental health. Ongoing conflicts with others, loneliness, and the loss of someone or something important can also take their toll on our well-being.
Your personality structure can also influence how you feel. For example, if you are self-critical or a perfectionist, if you set high standards for yourself, or if you tend to see “the glass as half empty,” you are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression
Other causes that should not be overlooked include physical illness, substances, and medications. Glandular fever, influenza, hepatitis, thyroid hormones, anemia, diabetes, birth control pills, alcohol and other substances of abuse, or other medications, such as those for heart or blood pressure conditions, may all cause symptoms of anxiety or depression.
Anxiety can also lead to depression, and vice versa. Constantly feeling worried and on the verge of a nervous breakdown can leave you feeling tired, negative, and unmotivated. It can be hard to get excited about things or have fun if you’re constantly worried. Similarly, people who are depressed often have negative thoughts and expect the worst, which can lead them to worry about themselves, the future, and what others think of them. This can become a vicious cycle.
How to manage Anxiety and Depression
There are many effective treatments for anxiety and depression, including psychoeducation, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), and medication.
Psychoeducation refers to learning about how anxiety develops, and what keeps it going. This kind of information is extremely valuable. This knowledge base can potentially give someone greater control over their disorder, which can, in turn, reduce feelings of uncertainty and helplessness, and increase their sense of well-being. Providing education for families or carers also helps them offer support.
The most important pieces of information for a person with anxiety and depression are:
- Depression and anxiety are very common
- Depression and anxiety are not a sign of weakness or a character flaw.
- Treatment is effective, and there are many treatment options available. There is a suitable treatment for most people
- Recovery is the rule, not the exception
CBT is an excellent treatment for anxiety and depression, alone or in conjunction with medication. CBT involves learning skills to:
- Combat the negative thoughts that characterize anxiety and depression
- Manage feelings of sadness, discouragement, and low energy, even in the absence of physical activity (feeling constantly tired even when not physically active)
- Overcome feelings of fear and worry, and re-engage in activities you may have stopped doing because of anxiety
CBT will often be recommended when:
- The person has found CBT helpful in the past
- The person wants to take an active role in their recovery
- The person wants to learn skills to help them get well and stay well
- A competent, trained clinician who has expertise in CBT is available, or the person is prepared to use internet CBT (iCBT)
- The person does not want to take medication or there is a medical reason that they cannot take antidepressant medications
- The person prefers CBT or iCBT
For some people, medication will be the first line of treatment for anxiety and depression. Although these medications are, somewhat confusingly, called ‘antidepressants’, they are effective for both anxiety and depression.
Medication is generally recommended if a person is experiencing severe depression or very intense anxiety. In cases of mild or moderate depression, antidepressants are rarely recommended as a first-line treatment.
Different antidepressant medications work in different ways. You may need to trial more than one type to find the medication that works best for you. Make sure to keep in close contact with your prescribing physician during the early stages of taking medications, the side effects can often be difficult to deal with.
Some things to remember when taking these medications are:
- Take the medication as prescribed.
- Don’t stop the medication without contacting the health professional who prescribed it.
- Side effects lessen as your body adjusts. If the side effects don’t diminish or are unreasonable, contact your health professional.
- Don’t stop the medication when you feel better, or your anxiety may return.
What is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Anxiety
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, is considered to be one of the leading psychological treatments for anxiety and depression. All of our online programs use CBT strategies to relieve symptoms and support your mental health. Click below to see if CBT can help you manage your symptoms and improve your well-being.
Self-Help Strategies for Controlling Anxiety & Reducing Stress
Cognitive Strategies
People with anxiety and depression can be more prone to negative and self-critical thinking. Cognitive strategies help people identify and challenge these kinds of thoughts, and learn new, more helpful ways of thinking. In doing so, these strategies help can people feel more confident, resilient, and grounded.
Behavioural Strategies
A key feature of anxiety and depression is avoidance. Avoidance is when you miss out on fun or important experiences because of the anxiety that these experiences trigger. For example, skipping your run because you’re ashamed of your physical fitnesss, leaving a party early because you feel awkward or uncomfortable, or not even applying for that new job because you’re afraid of rejection.
Because avoidance deprives you of the chance to have fun, connect with other people, achieve things, and overcome your fears, it keeps anxiety and depression going. Behavioural strategies therefore target avoidance. For example:
- Setting daily activity goals.
- Spending more time doing activities you enjoy.
- Trying activities that push you just a little bit outside of your comfort zone.
- Reward yourself for your efforts.
Coping With Symptoms of Anxiety & Depression
Sometimes, a few simple changes can make a big difference in how you feel.
Inactivity can increase muscle tension. Try to get up and move around a bit throughout the day.
Do some light stretching in the evening to release tension and enhance your sense of relaxation.
Take the time to breathe deeply and consciously relax your muscles, from head to toe. You might be surprised by how much tension you build up during the day without even realizing it.
If your muscle pain is severe or persistent, consult your healthcare provider for additional advice.
Get up at the same time every morning.
Avoid napping during the day.
Cut back on tea and coffee if you drink too much (no more than two or three cups a day, and none after about 4 p.m.).
Don’t lie awake in bed for more than thirty minutes—if you can’t fall asleep, get up and find a relaxing activity to do instead.
Put your worries to good use. Instead of constantly trying to identify your problems, choose one or two that seem truly important to you and make a decision to solve them. You can ask a friend to help you.
Follow these steps:
- Clearly identify what the problem (or goal) is.
- List five or six possible solutions to the problem. Write down all the ideas that come to mind, not just the good ones.
- Weigh the pros and cons of each idea.
- Choose the solution that best fits your needs.
- Plan out exactly the steps you’ll take to implement the solution.
- Evaluate your efforts after trying to carry out your plan. Congratulate yourself on your efforts. If you don’t succeed, try again.
Negative thoughts and emotions tend to focus your attention on things that worry or depress you. These thoughts can make your problems seem worse than they actually are. People suffering from anxiety and depression also tend to underestimate their ability to cope with these problems. Certain strategies can help you develop a more balanced perspective:
- Make a list of your three main strengths, perhaps with the help of a friend or family member. Keep this list with you and read it whenever you have negative thoughts.
- Make a list of three challenges you’ve overcome better than you thought you could. Read this list when you worry about how you would handle the situation if your fears came true.
- Write down all the little pleasant or interesting things that happen each day and discuss these events with your loved ones when you see them.
- Keep yourself busy with useful activities. Avoid having too much free time to think.
Interested in learning more?
Mixed Anxiety and Depression program
Check out our practical, self-paced online program that teaches step-by-step strategies for tackling symptoms of depression and anxiety.