The difference between anxiety and depression is that one is a definite illness, but the other is a chronic condition.
- Depression is a distinct condition. It might appear in many different forms (see below). It might also have a range of effects on different persons. On the other hand, the term depression relates to a particular condition.
- Anxiety is a term that already has a lot of different meanings. Anxiety is an emotional emotion that we all experience periodically, and the phrase “anxiety” may be used to simply define it. When we use the term anxiety in a medical setting, however, we are referring to several health conditions.
Some less prevalent disorders are included in the category of anxiety. Phobias and panic disorders are examples of this. However, generalised anxiety disorder is the most frequent (GAD). In the United Kingdom, approximately four and five persons out of every hundred suffer from a generalised anxiety disorder.
Both mental and physical symptoms can accompany generalised anxiety disorder and depression.
For two weeks or more, depression is described as a poor mood and/or a loss of interest or enjoyment in most activities. These are thought to be the “core symptoms” of depression. A person with depression may also have a variety of additional mood-related symptoms, such as the following.
Guilt or helplessness
Feelings of worthlessness, low self-esteem, or lack of confidence are all symptoms of low confidence.
Suicide or death thoughts
Similarly, two “core symptoms”; characterise generalised anxiety disorder. These are the following:
For more than six months, you’ve had excessive anxiety and concern on most days, and you’ve had trouble regulating these sensations of anxiety and worry.
There are more symptoms that someone may have in addition to these, such as:
Irritation or a sensation of being on edge
You may be excessively concerned about a variety of common things if you have a generalised anxiety disorder.
Furthermore, there may not be a single rational basis for your anxiousness.
What are the symptoms of anxiety and depression?
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Physical signs and symptoms
In both generalised anxiety disorder and depression, there are several physical symptoms. Consider the following scenario:
Weariness, Exhaustion, Being fidgety or unable to sit still is a sign of poor focus, Sleeping problems are also a sign of poor attention. However, both illnesses have their own set of physical symptoms.
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Physical manifestations of depression include:
Weight changes are frequently induced by changes in hunger, as well as reduced mobility. The following are some of the physical manifestations of generalised anxiety disorder:
Muscular spasms and pains, as well as headaches, Sweating\dizziness, Bowel issues, Shortness of breath and a rapid pulse.
All of the physical symptoms listed above might indicate that you have underlying health issues.
Is it realistic to have both anxiety and depression at once?
It’s a difficult scenario. There are also several distinctions as well as some parallels between depression and generalised anxiety disorder. It’s possible to experience either sadness or anxiety at the same time, which makes things even more confusing.
That’s not just possible; it’s also pretty common. Around half of those who have generalised anxiety disorder also have depression. When these events occur simultaneously, they may be more intense and last lengthier than usual.
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