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Depression has been called "the common cold of mental illness," and it affects more than nine million Americans. Anxiety disorders affect millions more. People who suffer from one of these illnesses also have the other more often than not. From 60 to 70% of people with depression also suffer from anxiety. About half of all patients with anxiety disorders also suffer depression. There is so much overlapping between depression and anxiety that many psychologists are beginning to view them as part of the same disorder.
Most people have feelings of sadness at some point in their lives. The loss of a job, death of a loved one, or other disappointments, causes many of the symptoms of depression. Similarly, most people experience anxiety at some point in their lives when confronted with stressful situations. These feelings are normal, up to a point.
When feelings of overwhelming sadness or hopelessness, accompanied by fatigue, and changes of appetite and sleep patterns persist for more than a few weeks, the person may be diagnosed with clinical depression. When feelings of anxiety are out of proportion to the stresses being experienced, or a person has panic attacks several times over a period of weeks, they may be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety and depression are so often intertwined that one must be treated before the other can be dealt with.
Since there is so much overlap between depression and anxiety, it is fortunate that many of the same treatments work for both disorders. Antidepressant drugs are frequently used to treat anxiety disorders. Many psychologist use therapies in which they help the patient learn new thought patterns and coping strategies. These therapies, called cognitive and behavior therapies, have been effective in treating both anxiety and depression. Many doctors also recommend physical exercise as a treatment for both types of disorders. Sometimes, though, depression can leave a person so drained of energy that they are unable to make the effort required for some types of psychotherapy for anxiety. In these cases, the person must be treated for depression in order for the anxiety therapy for to work.
Often, doctors must treat patients for depression for anxiety therapies to work, but this is not always the case. Anxiety disorders usually become obvious during childhood or adolescence. Depression typically doesn't appear until a person is in their mid-twenties. This means that by catching and treating a young person's anxiety, doctors may be able to prevent depression from developing later in life. Since depression and anxiety are so often interconnected, the treatments for both must also be connected.
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