Introduction
Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health conditions. They can be hard to tell apart and often overlap with each other. Symptoms of anxiety and depression include:
Your feelings
It's important to remember that anxiety and depression are both mood disorders. The feelings associated with each can overlap, but they're not exactly the same thing. Anxiety is characterized by feelings of worry, fear, and panic; whereas depression is often characterized by sadness or guilt that may lead to hopelessness.
Your sleep patterns
The first thing to look at is your sleep patterns. If you're experiencing any of the following, it could be a sign of anxiety:
● Insomnia or difficulty falling asleep
● Awaking during the night and having trouble getting back to sleep
● Waking up too early in the morning (you may also have trouble falling asleep at night)
If your sleep pattern has changed from what used to be normal for you, this could be an indication that something is not right with your mental health.
Your energy levels
When it comes to energy levels, anxiety and depression are very similar. Both emotions drain you of the energy you need to get through your day. You may find yourself sleeping or feeling tired throughout the day, even though you've had plenty of sleep.
Your thoughts and feelings about yourself and the world around you
Anxiety is a feeling of unease, while depression is a feeling of sadness and hopelessness. In other words, anxiety can make you feel like everything is going wrong while depression makes you feel like nothing matters anymore. If you're anxious all the time but not sad at all (or vice versa), then it's likely that your symptoms are related to stress rather than depression or anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder and social phobia--and these conditions are characterized by persistent feelings of worry or fear about everyday situations such as going out in public or speaking up at work meetings---even when there's no real reason for concern. Depression usually involves more than just feeling sad; it involves having thoughts about yourself and the world around you that seem negative and pessimistic in nature
What you do when you are anxious and depressed
When you are anxious, your mind can go into overdrive. You might feel like you need to be doing something all the time and that if you aren't constantly occupied with something productive then everything will fall apart around you. Anxiety has been described as being like an internal narrator who is constantly telling us what we're doing wrong and how we should be doing things differently--and that voice can be relentless!
Anxiety also makes people feel as though they have no control over their lives because of how much power their thoughts have over them: An anxious person might believe that if they don't get their work done perfectly then their boss will fire them or their spouse will leave them; these types of thoughts are irrational but nonetheless very common among people with anxiety disorders.
Depression has been described as feeling like "living in a black hole" because there's no light at the end of it; this is why people often describe depression as having nothing left inside themselves anymore--they've lost hope completely and just want everything else around them gone too (which isn't always possible). Because there isn't really anything hopeful about depression either way--whether things get better or worse doesn't matter because either way would still leave us feeling empty inside--it's easy see why so many people struggle with staying positive while dealing with these feelings day after day after day...
Anxiety or Depression? How to Tell Them Apart
Depression is more persistent, and can be accompanied by physical symptoms such as headaches or stomachaches. So if you're feeling low for an extended period of time, it may be a sign that you're depressed. Anxiety attacks are also common in people suffering from anxiety disorders; these often include chest pains, shortness of breath, and dizziness.
People who experience depression might feel like they have no energy at all--it might be difficult to get out of bed in the morning or even make yourself eat something healthy for breakfast (or lunch). If this sounds like something that sounds familiar to you right now--or if there are other signs listed above that apply to how your body feels on a regular basis--then it's probably best if you schedule an appointment with a counselor to assist you in your journey.
If you would like to learn more or would like counseling support, call 443-860-6870 or use the calendar to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.