If you are feeling anxious, depressed or both at the same time, you are not alone and we are here to listen and help. Anxiety is the most common mental health concern in the United States, affecting 40 million adults age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year. Depression is also very common. In 2014, around 15.7 million adults age 18 or older in the U.S. had experienced at least one major depressive episode in the last year (6.7% of adults in the U.S.).
Experiencing anxiety and depression at the same time is very common. Nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Most people have feelings of anxiety or depression at times. Grief, loss of a job, divorce, illness, moving, financial worries and other stressors can lead to feelings of sadness, worry, frustration, and loneliness. These are normal reactions to difficult life situations. The feelings associated with events such as these may be addressed by talking to a counselor or visiting your doctor. When these feelings interfere with your ability to enjoy your daily life, complete necessary tasks or affect interpersonal relationships, discussing your anxiety and/or depression with a professional may be really helpful.
What anxiety is like
The main feature of an anxiety disorder is excessive worry about events and activities with the intensity of the worry being out of proportion to the likelihood of the anticipated event.
Anxiety and worry are associated with the following symptoms:
- Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbance
What depression is like
The main feature of a depressive disorder is a period of time, two weeks at least, during which you have a depressed mood most of the day nearly every day or loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities. Other potential symptoms include:
- Weight loss when not dieting or weight gain and changes in appetite
- Insomnia
- Sleeping too much
- Fatigue or low energy
- Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
- Impaired ability to think or concentrate
- Indecisiveness, lack of motivation
- Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation with or without a plan
How we can help you with your anxiety and depression
The symptoms of anxiety and depression can cause significant distress and impairment in your life. Fortunately, there are effective treatments for both anxiety and depression. There are several forms of psychotherapy widely available that are effective for both. Many medications, vitamins and supplements, botanical remedies, and lifestyle modifications have been shown to be effective treatments as well.
At Emerge Natural Health Care, we offer a range of treatments available from our team of practitioners. Sometimes finding the right approach takes more than one try and sometimes several therapies are needed at once to help. Please get in touch to see if we can help you find a solution for your anxiety and depression.