Anxiety and depression can become a real problem, interfering with our ability to be present and engaged with important things in our lives. Though these issues can be treated independently, more often they do not arise independently in experience. Very often they are intertwined and intimately related to our suffering.
Depression and anxiety commonly manifest as an overall feeling and certain type of thoughts. Physical symptoms can show up as a tightness in our chest or, stomach issues, and headaches. A common reaction to both anxiety and depression is disrupted or excessive sleep, apathy, and lack of motivation. Frequently, anxiety that leads to overactivity or inability to focus or sit still is referred to ADHD, or Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. While exact empirical causes of these mental ailments are unknown, these mental health problems can be triggered by trauma and adverse life circumstances.
Depression is diagnosed more frequently in women and tends to display differently in women than in men.
Depression and anxiety regularly exacerbate each other and many people report feeling distracted and inability to concentrate or pay attention. People lose interest in things they enjoy often resulting in behaviors that friends and family might describe as unlike us. Some people abuse alcohol and drugs or overeat as a way of coping, causing them to develop other medical problems. Depressed people are also at increased risk for self-harm and suicide.
Anxiety is characterized diagnostically as excessive worry about a variety of topics, events, or activities. The worry is often experienced as a challenge of control. The worry may easily shift from one topic to another and sometimes concerns no topic that one can discern.
Some of the characteristics of anxiety are:
- Edginess or restlessness
- Tiring easily; more fatigued than usual
- Impaired concentration or feeling as though the mind goes blank
- Irritability (which may or may not be observable to others)
- Increased muscle aches or soreness
- Difficulty sleeping (due to trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, restlessness at night, or unsatisfying sleep)
Depression is characterized as a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in things. As a diagnostic illness, Depression is characterized by prolonged emotional symptoms including:
- Apathy
- Sadness
- Guilt
- Exhaustion
- Irritability
Depressive thoughts can manifest as 'negative self-talk', such as "I am worthless", or "I can't to anything right" as well as ideas that the we are a burden on our family, friends, and loved ones.