Anxiety and depression are two distinctive disorders but often one follows the other. Typically, people suffering from depression also have anxiety disorders and vice versa. Be it depression or anxiety, a person suffering from either of the conditions will tend to overrate the risk and underrate one's ability to cope with it. It's also common for a person suffering from anxiety or depression to lack social skills. These people are a lot more comfortable avoiding the situation they fear than work on dealing with the fear. Fear anxiety and depression and stress anxiety and depression are the two main types of anxiety and depression disorders. These disorders are named according to their triggers.
Typical signs of anxiety are overt displays of worry, constant irritability, and a high degree of restlessness over banal situations. As for depression, common symptoms include a marked loss of self esteem, lack of interest in any activity, pessimistic attitude, and in general a sad disposition. Since the two conditions tend to co-exist, it has researchers convinced that both can be addressed and treated at the same time using the same method too.
Usually anxiety disorders precede depression, which gives you a good opportunity to prevent the latter. However, it is not something an individual can tackle by themselves. Both anxiety and depression require a certain amount of intervention.
Here are a few methods of dealing with anxiety and depression disorders:
Behavioral Therapy: This therapy is focused on getting the patient to face the fear that invoked anxiety or depression. It is a gradual process by which the individual is encouraged to decrease the panic felt over a particular thing or event.
Cognitive Therapy: Here the therapist encourages the patient to think about what feelings or events set off the depression or anxiety attack. The therapist then works with the patient and helps him/her convert the negativity in the situation into something positive so that the patient can overcome the anxiety or depression completely.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: As is obvious with the name, cognitive-behavioral therapy is a combination of behavioral therapy and cognitive therapy. This form of psychotherapy addresses dysfunctional behavior and emotions and alters the emotions and thoughts. This form of treatment also helps overcome panic attacks and instills confidence in the affected individual.
It will take a minimum of 12 to 15 weeks of therapy to bring about a positive effect in an individual suffering from anxiety and/or depression. In many instances, psychotherapy alone is not enough. Psychiatrists also combine certain medications, depending on the severity of the problem. Do note, medications do not offer cure for either anxiety or depression but they do help in reducing the impact of the conditions. For instance, a patient undergoing therapy for depression will also be prescribed an anti-depressant. These medicines work on the physical responses and helps relax an individual's mind and body temporarily.
These medications, should, however, only be taken by doctor recommendation and consumed judiciously to avoid addiction. In addition to these, there are certain other aides to fighting depression and anxiety as well. Regular exercising for instance can reduce one's chances of depression or anxiety, because exercising results in the release of endorphins which induce positive feelings and reduce pain in the body. Other methods include the consumption of herbs like basil, ginseng or garlic, breathing and relaxation routines and in certain cases hypnotherapy as well.
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