How can you tell if you have depression or anxiety ?

[vickyboo38]

[loubie25]

Hi Vicky

Usually when you have anxiety you normally then get depression with it as they go hand in hand.

If you go to the doctors they will be able to talk to you about the way you feel and diagnose you.

I haven't been to the doctors myself as I have really bad social anxiety, but I know how I feel, I did a test online for depression and anxiety and it confirmed this for me. I feel really down all the time, am never happy with myself or what I have, I always see the negative in myself and can never see any positives, I cry a lot and get upset easily, I over react and make out that things are a lot worse than they actually are and always think the worst is going to happen, my heart beats so fast I think I am going to have a heart attack and die, I get heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and I blush easily and can't speak sometimes, I get really nervous stumble my words or my mind goes blank, also my hands get very shaky...this is just some of things I suffer with, with my anxiety and depression.

I hope this helps you a little. Xx

[karenx]

Hi Vickyboo,

I have found myself with anxiety but am in no way depressed, so have to disagree with the above comment about then going hand in hand.

At my stress management classes i attended, it covered all aspects of mood management and we learnt about depression.

One of the class members explained how depression felt to her and all the other suffers there couldnt agree more. She said its like being down and deep dark well on your own. Being able to hear a bit of noise and see a bit of light out of the top but never being able to claw your way up the slippery sides to reach it.

[vickyboo38]

Hi Loubie and Karen ,

Thank you for replying , I only ask because over a year ago I was antidepressents for about 5 years but then thought a year ago I wanted to try to cope on my own so came of them and gradually got better when I included more things in my life .

I am a mum of 2 to a 16 year old girl and an 11 year old boy and my life was just mostly being a mum and although it is all I wanted to be at the time it seemed once they went to school etc I didn't like being at home doing nothing .

I would do certain things like get a cleaning job just to keep busy then I left that job and I just seem to want more out of my life now there a lot older now , I tend to think to deeply into my life and all the negatives etc and then obviously that gives me low moods , the thing is I can't determine if my low moods is because I have had to have the mirena coil fitted 8 months ago and ever since then I have been struggling quite a bit with low moods and anxiety as I just get all nervous because of the way I feel , my doctor says it is anxiety and try's to tell me it's not the coil but I have read so much about many people suffering the same and previously to having it never suffered before I had it fitted due to bleeding , sorry about too much info it was the only option but since then it's been 1 thing after another , migraines , low moods , anxiety , i'm going to try to have it out this week and see if it is what is causing this with me .

I can't go on like this waking to a feeling of dread , nervous , bad stomach , hot and cold etc , I keep busy all day just to stop feeling like it but when I relax I feel it Sometimes coming back ,

Evenings are definitely better but mornings are awful I hope it's the coil and that my life will get back to what it was like for that year , using the gym has definitely helped due to the endorphins I recommend the gym for anyone and exercise , a simple walk helps .

I really hope anyone that suffers with either depression or anxiety gets through it , I know how much a struggle it is and what effect it can have on your family , so I wish you all a very positive life , what's helped me is cbt which is self cognitive therapy and going for long walks , just keeping busy if u can , I spend anytime I can at home in the garden , better to be out than in .the gym and any form of exercise pumps the endorphins coming in .. it helped me , ive had a lot going on lately but I just keep plodding on , I hope your struggle reduces very soon for both of you .

Thank you for reading this long message