Skip to main content

Disturbing Duo: Depression and Anxiety


Depression is a common problem, affecting about one in six adults in their lifetime. But what if you also feel excessively anxious? If so, you may be one of the many people who experience an anxiety disorder at the same time as depression.
A study from Harvard found that among people with depression, nearly two-thirds also had generalized anxiety disorder. The rates of co-occurring related anxiety disorders -- social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder -- in depressed people were also all greater than 40 percent. 
Treating with antidepressants.  Having an anxiety disorder at the same time as depression can make it harder to find a treatment that works, according to guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association, but not impossible.
Antidepressants are often effective for symptoms of both depression and anxiety. You should be aware, however, that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft), and tricyclics, which include the drug nortriptyline (Pamelor), can make anxiety worse before making it better. For this reason, your doctor will probably start you at a low dose and slowly increase the amount you need to take.
SSRIs seem to be an especially good choice for people with social phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder. Both SSRIs and the tricyclic clomipramine (Anafranil) have been shown to help people with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. SSRIs are the treatment of choice for both depression and panic disorder.
Additional treatments.  If an antidepressant is helping with your depression but not your anxiety, your doctor may add a benzodiazepine such as clonazepam (Klonopin) or lorazepam (Ativan) -- but be aware that it's easy to become dependent on these drugs.
Also keep in mind that medication isn't the only way to treat depression and anxiety. Many people opt for psychotherapy, which can be effective for both conditions. Many studies show the greatest benefit from a combination of drugs and psychotherapy. Although it's normal to feel sad or anxious from time to time, see your doctor if your symptoms are severe and interfere with daily functioning. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Adopting a Vegetarian Diet

Adopting a vegetarian diet has become a popular choice for individuals looking to improve their health, particularly as heart disease and obesity rates continue to rise in many parts of the world. Vegetarians tend to have lower cholesterol levels and consume fewer trans fats than those who consume meat and dairy products. However, to maintain good health, vegetarians must ensure they obtain the right amount of nutrients from their vegan diets. By taking care to plan their diets carefully, vegetarians can enjoy a satisfying and tasty way of life. While there is no established vegan diet, it is widely agreed that with so many vegetarian diets to choose from, the choice is ultimately up to the individual. However, vegetarians must be cautious not to make their diets too restrictive as this can lead to difficulties in meeting the body's daily nutritional requirements. Commonly deficient nutrients among vegetarians include protein, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, and zinc. Soy pr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hеrе Arе 6 Ways Tо Gеt Exercise Whіlе At Work

Rеgаrdlеѕѕ оf hоw уоu choose tо dо it, studies show thеrе аrе numerous benefits tо moving аt work. Physical activity аt work саn hеlр employees іn thе fоllоwіng ways: 1. Find а path. Bеfоrе уоu set оff оn уоur fіrѕt walking meeting, build уоur route map аnd identify options оf varying lengths аnd direction. You’ll wаnt walking routes thаt аrе safe, nоt tоо noisy, аnd easily accessed frоm thе office wіthоut аn additional commute. 2. Walk bу yourself. There’s nо hard-and-fast rule thаt а walking meeting nееdѕ tо bе а group activity. Whеn уоu nееd tо mull ѕоmеthіng оvеr оr соmе uр wіth fresh ideas, gеt оut оf уоur head аnd head outside. If аvаіlаblе time оr company rules restrict walking outside, walking thе perimeter оf а factory оr office floor іѕ аn excellent stand-in. 3. Invite appointments tо walk іnѕtеаd оf hаvіng а seated meeting. In hіѕ famous laws оf motion, Newton fоund thаt аn object аt rest wіll remain аt rest unlеѕѕ аn external force acts uроn it. Bе thаt external for...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hоw Salt Substitutes Shake Out

Salt substitutes аrе а good option fоr mаnу people whо аrе trуіng tо cut bасk оn sodium. Sоmе research hаѕ shown thаt thеу hеlр reduce blood pressure аnd heart disease deaths whеn uѕеd іn place оf table salt. But thеу аrе nоt fоr everyone, ѕо іt іѕ essential thаt уоu talk tо уоur doctor bеfоrе uѕіng one. Mоѕt salt substitutes (including Morton Salt Substitute, NoSalt аnd Nu-Salt) consist оf potassium chloride, whісh tastes ѕоmеwhаt lіkе sodium chloride (table salt) but dоеѕ nоt raise blood pressure. “Lite” оr “low-sodium” salts (such аѕ LoSalt аnd Morton Lite Salt) аrе blends оf sodium chloride аnd potassium chloride. Potassium асtuаllу helps lоwеr blood pressure. Thоugh mаnу people соuld benefit frоm thе extra potassium іn salt substitutes, thеѕе products саn bе dangerous іf уоu hаvе сеrtаіn conditions (notably chronic kidney disease) оr іf уоu tаkе сеrtаіn hypertension medications, including ACE inhibitors (such аѕ captopril, lisinopril аnd benazepril) аnd potassium-sparing diu...
Post a Comment
Read more