Anxiety and depression?

[zlambert]

Hello everyone,

It’s my first time on here I just figured I’d give this a try. So I started getting anxiety when I was 16 and now I’m 17, it’s been rough. Sometimes It has me wondering how I managed to stay strong and to not give up bc ive had my moments. For several months now I’ve been experiencing mood swings and depressed moods mainly when I’m anxious. Is it possible that I may have depression as well even though I experience mood swings and depressed moods mostly in the state of anxiety?

[princessleia29]

Hi yes anxiety and depression are good friends I have both and it swings between the two. I find exercise and meditation very helpful in dealing with however I am feeling. Exercise makes me feel uplifted. Stay strong you can deal with this and do you have a counsellor you can talk to?

[zlambert in reply to princessleia29]

Yes I do at my school, I never asked if I can talk to her about this though. It’s like I want to talk and get help but I don’t

[princessleia29 in reply to zlambert]

Your counsellor will be able to help you with this it is worth opening up to them. I have a counsellor and I find it enormously helpful in dealing with anxiety and depression. It is surprisingly common but very treatable so don’t worry.

[Hidden in reply to zlambert]

The mind has a way of making us continue down the same path. It tells us not to get help.

You can do it.

[BA-H]

Hi zlambert - Just last week I was talking about feelings with my counselor. She has been out of town for a week and I had a pretty emotional week with lots of stuff going on. I told her there were a couple of recurring story lines. She noted one was about feelings of guilt and the other was about feelings of loneliness. She said in a nutshell, it's those two things that define depression versus anxiety. I know that's an extremely general view of depression, but it was a psychiatrist that said it so it must be a little true, right? Anyway, maybe that helps you address in your own mind whether you have depression in addition to anxiety. Good luck, my friend. Hang in there! BAH

[designguy]

hello zlambert. I often heard that anxiety and depression are two sides of the same coin, meaning that they can coexist simultaneously. The depression that sometimes accompanies anxiety can also be due to the physiological aspects of anxiety. When your body is in a heightened state of arousal it is physically draining and fatiguing and can make you feel depressed. Especially if the anxious state is maintained for a prolonged period of time. There is also the aspect of just being depressed and frustrated over having anxiety disorder.

Sometimes when my anxiety was at it's worse, I would be physically and emotionally exhausted for days until i started to feel better and be able to be functional.

If you are not currently, I would definitely recommend you find a good therapist who specifically treats anxiety disorder to work with and help you sort things out.