Depression and Anxiety

In addition to the 9 most common symptoms of depression (the presence of which help diagnose major depressive disorder), patients with a clinical diagnosis may exhibit any number of additional symptoms. Commonly, people with major depressive disorder also exhibit symptoms of anxiety. Clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders and depression disorders are often present in the same individual with nearly half of those diagnosed with clinical depression also being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.¹ However, when anxiety is not a full-blown disorder, it can be seen merely as a symptoms of depression.

Physical symptoms of anxiety include trembling, dizziness, shortness of breath, panic attacks, nausea, chest pain, head aches and racing heartbeat while psychological symptoms include excessive worry, general uneasiness, obsessive compulsive thoughts or behaviors, and paranoia. Anxiety can often occur without a triggering event or perceived threat which causes the person to feel overwhelmed though unprovoked.²

Additional symptoms for both depression and anxiety disorders can be similar (nervousness, irritability, problems sleeping etc.) but as disorders they have separate diagnoses.¹

There is no evidence one disorder causes the other, but many people suffer from both simultaneously or concurrently.¹

References

1. Anxiety Disorders Association of America. Depression. Retrieved on June 25, 2010 from http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/depression (http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/depression)
2. American Psychological Association. Anxiety Disorders. Retrieved on June 28, 2010 from http://www.apa.org/health-reform/anxiety-disorders.html