Depression and anxiety are
distinct, and particularly common, emotional disorders. In fact,
depression and anxiety are the two most common emotional
disorder forms. While depression is unique from anxiety, it is
not uncommon for depression and anxiety to overlap in persons
having emotional disorders.
When depression and anxiety appear together, either condition
can be the cause or the result of the other. Someone who is
depressed, as an example, can become anxious and this may be
especially true as a depressed conditions lingers. An anxious
person can become withdrawn or begin to feel overwhelmed by
their condition, an outlook that may bring about a depressed
state. If there is a more likely scenario for a lead in between
the two conditions, it may be anxiety leading to depression.
The depressed state presents, usually, a reduction in one's
physical expression. Depressed people are often, though not
always, emotionally down and physically listless. The depressed
state is not classically a state of displaced energy, a
description that matches anxiety quite well. The depressed
person who goes from a listless downcast mood to expressing
anxiety-like agitation may actually be presenting the symptoms
of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is marked by lethargic
depression swinging to agitation, but the agitation in bipolar
disorder is mania, not anxiety. The manic state typically
presents extroverted, extreme, and often exceptionally strange
behavior. People with anxiety aren't typically extroverted, and
don't typically display especially unusual behavior.
A chronically anxious person's sense of uptight and upset can
present a considerable physical drain. An extended period of
chronic anxiety can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion,
and under such circumstances depression may set in. People who
have anxiety also tend to become withdrawn, or to self-medicate
using alcohol or drugs, and both of these coping methods can and
do lead to significant depression.
As with all human conditions, emotional disorders are not
uniform but do have similarities. An anxious person need not
develop depression, while someone with depression may go on to
develop an anxious state that is not in fact symptomatic of
bipolar disorder. If there is an important reflection to keep in
mind it's that a case of depression or anxiety does not
automatically discount the possibility of some other emotional
dysfunction also being present. Distinct psychological problems
can appear simultaneously.
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