Most people experience anxiety and/or depression in our lives, which can be caused by grief, loss of a job, divorce, illness, and other stressors can lead to feelings of sadness, worry, frustration, and loneliness which are normal reactions to difficult life situations or a life altering event.

Some people experience these feelings daily without a known stressor. This can interfere with the ability to carry out normal day activities such as getting to work on time, proper self-care, or caring for children. In this case people might be suffering from depression, anxiety or a combination of both.

Depression and anxiety do co-occur. Studies show that between 20% to 40% of adults in any given 12-month period will visit their Physician or Psychologist during a depressive or anxiety disorder episode, and that nearly 50% of patients suffer from a co-morbid, secondary depressive and/ or anxiety disorder.

Major depressive disorder symptoms

Major depressive disorder where there is nearly every day loss of interest or pleasure in most daily activities. Other symptoms include:

• Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain and changes in appetite
• Insomnia nearly every day
• Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
• Feelings of worthlessness, excessive guilt or self loath
• Panic attacks in public spaces or panic attacks when alone
• Impaired ability to think or concentrate, and/or confused and unable to make decisions
• Recurrent thoughts of suicide

The symptom of major depressive disorder does cause significant distress and does lead to impairments in social and other occupational areas of functioning.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

The essential feature of generalised anxiety disorder is excessive anxiety and worry about a number of issues from the very smallest events. The intensity of the worry / anxiety is out of proportion in the anticipated event. The excessive worry, panic attacks or anxiety occurs more days than not over a period of at least one to two months or more.

Anxiety and worry are associated with most of the following symptoms with at least some of the symptoms presented more often than not during a six month period to twelve month period:

• Restlessness or feeling on edge
• Easily fatigued
• Difficulty concentrating / mind going blank
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Sleep disturbance
• Constant nausea

Meeting the criteria for generalised anxiety disorder the anxiety / worry or physical symptoms cause significant stress and panic in social, occupational or other areas of functioning.

There are several features that separate generalized anxiety disorder from non pathological anxiety.

• Are excessive and typically interfere with psychical and social functioning
• Are more pervasive, pronounced, and distressing
• Worries, panic attacks and anxiety have longer duration
• Worries, panic attacks and anxiety are more likely to be accompanied by physical symptoms of heightened restlessness or feeling on edge)

People with generalized anxiety disorder are likely to experience systematic symptoms like sweating, nausea, diarrhea, muscle tension and an exaggerated response.

Some forms of treatment for anxiety and depression

A treatment plan for co-occurring anxiety and depression should be designed to help the person manage and reduce symptoms of both disorders at the same time.

Several forms of psychotherapy are widely available and effective for both anxiety and depression.

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – is a short-term talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave, this therapy works to replace negative and unproductive thought patterns with more realistic and useful ones. This treatment focuses on taking specific steps to manage and reduce symptoms.
• Interpersonal talk therapy – helps a patient on resolving interpersonal problems and symptomatic recovery.
• Problem solving therapy – This treatment helps patients to learn tools to effectively manage the negative effects of stressful life events or an event
• Meditation Therapy – to build patients self confidence and to learn how to self love / respect
• (TRE )- Trauma Release Exercise therapy – Tension or Trauma Release Exercises (or TRE) is a simple yet innovative series of exercises that does assist the body in releasing muscular patterns of stress, tension and trauma. Created by Dr. David Berceli, PhD, TRE safely activates a natural reflex mechanism of shaking or vibrating that releases muscular tension, calming down the nervous system. When this muscular shaking/vibrating mechanism is activated in a safe and controlled environment, the body is encouraged to return back to a state of balance and ultimately making a patient feel relaxed and calm.
• Medication – Both anxiety and depressive disorders respond to treatment with selective serotonin reuptake medication which is one of the commonly prescribed drugs for treating depression.

Long-term, combined treatment psychotherapy and medication management is typically recommended for people with re-occurring anxiety and depression.

The presence of co-occurring depressive and anxiety disorders is associated with greater chronicity and slower recovery, increased rates of recurrence, and psycho-social disabilities.

It’s always helpful to know what symptoms to watch for and the most effective treatments.