Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health disorders in the United States, affecting approximately 26% of adults. Depression and anxiety are mental illnesses. But they also impact your physical health and well-being.
What Are Anxiety and Depression?
Anxiety disorders are genuine and serious medical conditions, just like heart disease or diabetes. Anxiety disorders are the most common and widespread mental illnesses in the United States.
Depression is a mental illness in which a person feels discouraged, miserable, helpless, unmotivated, or uninterested in life for more than two weeks. And these feelings interfere with everyday activities. Major Depression is a treatable disease that affects a person’s thoughts, feelings, behavior, and function. At any given point in time, 3 to 5% of individuals suffer from major depression. The lifetime risk is around 17%.
Researchers estimated that 17 million American adults would suffer from depression each year. Clinical Depression, on the other hand, can interrupt your daily life. Also, it can cause a ripple of additional symptoms if you do not treat it.
Depression has an impact on how you feel and can lead to physical changes. Major Depression (a more severe form of depression) is a serious medical condition that can significantly impact your life quality.
What’s The Link Between Depression And Anxiety?
Depression and anxiety may arise at the same time. 45 percent of people with one mental health condition meet the requirements for two or more disorders, according to estimates. According to one study, around 85% of people who have depression also have extreme anxiety, and 90% of people who have anxiety disorder also have depression.
What Are The Symptoms Of Each Condition?
Some depression and anxiety symptoms overlap, such as sleep problems, tiredness, and concentration. However, many key differences help distinguish the two.
1. Depression
It is okay to feel down, disappointed, or angry. It can be concerning to feel this way for several days or weeks at a time.
Depression Causes The Following Physical Symptoms and Behavioral Changes:
- Decreased energy, chronic fatigue, or feeling sluggish regularly
- Difficulty concentrating, make decisions or recall information
- Unexplained pain, aches, cramps, or intestinal problems
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Inability to sleep, waking up early or oversleeping
Emotional Symptoms Of Depression Include:
- Loss of interest in or enjoyment from activities or hobbies
- Feelings of sadness, anxiety, or emptiness that persist
- A feeling of hopelessness or negativity
- Anger, irritability, or restlessness;
- Feelings of guilt or worthlessness or helplessness; and
- Thoughts of death
2. Anxiety
Anxiety, or fear and worry, can strike anyone at any moment. It is not unusual to feel anxious before a major event or important decision.
On the other hand, chronic anxiety can be debilitating and cause irrational thoughts and fears that interfere with your everyday life.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Causes The Following Physical Symptoms and Behavioral Changes:
- Feeling fatigued easily
- Difficulty concentrating or recalling
- Muscle tension
- Racing heart
- Grinding teeth
- Sleep issues, such as difficulty falling asleep and restless, unsatisfying sleep
Anxiety’s Emotional Symptoms Include:
- Restlessness
- Difficulty to control worry or fear
- Dread
- Panic
Why Shall They Be Treated As A Real Threat To Health?
The depressed person is often portrayed in the media as someone who sulks around their house, refuses to go out, and cries alone in a corner. While that is certainly how a depressed person may act, it does not represent the whole picture of depression and anxiety. Some individuals go to great lengths to keep their depression hidden from family and friends, which may cause therapy to be delayed. If you or someone you care about is depressed, there are many reasons why they should be treated as a serious health risk.
1. Depression and Anxiety Is Harmful
People who are seriously depressed often suffer from physical pain that is proportional to their emotional pain. Anxiety and stress, which are common symptoms of depression, may cause sore muscles, aching joints, poor digestion, and sleep disruptions, causing even more pain. Some depressed people dismiss these symptoms due to aging or old injuries. But, the reality is that depression and anxiety can cause physical pain.
2. Depression and Anxiety Can Mask Other Problems
Depression may be incredibly painful. So, some sufferers may delay seeking medical attention for their problems until they reach alarming levels.
This can sometimes hide serious health problems. For example, a depressed person may ignore their back pain only to discover later that they have had a severe kidney infection for quite a while. The pain in their stomach could be more than just anxiety. It could be a peptic ulcer. However, there is no need to become a hypochondriac. But, treating depression removes one potential source of pain. If the pain persists, further diagnostics may be needed to determine the cause. Pain may be ignored for far too long if depression is not treated.
3. Self-Medicating Behavior Can Be Dangerous
Some people who suffer from depression attempt to self-medicate their symptoms using recreational drugs, alcohol, or overeating.
Many people don’t even realize they are doing it to treat depression and instead think they are a “bad” person or morally bankrupt, worsening their symptoms of depression. Self-medication is not only ineffective but also risky. Overdosing, alcohol poisoning, obesity, and subsequent diabetes are all risks for people who self-medicate.
It is fair to say Untreated Depression is a terminal condition for those people. Depressed people may decide to end their lives because they cannot bear their physical and mental problems.
Suicidal thoughts or actions may become normal before a person commits suicide. Suicide has broken whole families and communities, resulting in more victims.
Why Treatment Of Depression and Anxiety Is So Important
Many people used to simply ‘put up with’ their depression. Despite this, studies have shown that people who go untreated for depression have far shorter life expectancies than those who are successfully treated. You wouldn’t suffer from TB if you didn’t get treatment. Then, why would you delay getting treatment for depression?
Admitting depression is viewed as a sign of personal weakness by many people. If there are six million people in the UK who have this condition, we must treat it like any other illness.
The treatments are available, and the evidence indicates that they work. Also, they are often covered by insurance. And life is just too short to waste it by feeling bad.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to live with unusual emotions, thoughts, or other depression and anxiety symptoms. Consult your doctor if these thoughts or changes continue for more than a week or two. Early treatment is the most effective way to handle the conditions and find effective long-term treatments.
Finding the best treatment for you may take some time. Most medications must be taken for at least two weeks to be successful. Similarly, you may need to try several medications before deciding on the best one for you. Your doctor will consult with you to determine the appropriate solution.
