Depression and anxiety, two sides of the same currency

For Anabel every day is a battle to move forward. Many days he does not even have enough to get out of bed and when her husband returns home at night, he still finds her in pajamas and with the dinner without preparing. Cries very often and even their moments of better humor are interrupted by ideas of failure and uselessness.

Content

• What is depression
• The main symptoms of a depressive picture
• Anxiety, partner of depression
• Depression treatment
  • Anxiety and depression references

What is depression

Depression is a disorder characterized by feelings of unhappiness, decay, discouragement and even indignity and guilt. The person who feels like this is unable to enjoy the things around him, loses interest in the environment and finds it difficult to concentrate. Sometimes the predominant mood is irritability.

This disorder affects between 3 and 10 percent of the general population, of which prevalence is double in women than in men. You can suffer from any age, be it a child or an older person, although between 20 and 50 years are the ages in which it is most frequently suffered.

Unfortunately, Many of the people suffering from depression have never been under treatment. The origins of this disease are very diverse, since they can influence biological, physical and psychosocial factors. In biological factors, evidence of alterations in neurotransmitters and hormones that seem to influence the decrease in cerebral serotonin, key to general emotional well -being,.

With respect to psychosocial factors, These can be of a very diverse nature, from the death of a loved one, through a sentimental break, the loss of work or even the birth of a child. In the first case it is what psychologists call endogenous depression, The second is a reactive or exogenous depression.

The main symptoms of a depressive picture

• Feeling of sadness or emptiness
• Anxiety
• Insomnia or excessive sleep
• Irritability
• Increase or reduction of weight
• Increase or decrease in physical activity
• Loss of interest or pleasure when carrying out daily activities
• Fatigue
• Guilty feeling
• Low self-esteem
• Difficult to focus
• Crying attacks
• Frequent death thoughts

Anxiety, partner of depression

Unfortunately, Anxiety can be an etiological factor of depression. That is, a depressive state can be preceded by periods of persistent anxiety.

Sadness is part of life. It is a natural response to a feeling of loss, defeat, disappointment, trauma or catastrophe. Many times we say that we are depressed, but in reality we are sad. Normally the feelings of sadness begin to disappear, and although our days they have high and low, the trend is more towards the high. If this does not happen relatively fast, the help of a professional may be necessary to learn how to adjust to the new stressful situation, for example, the death of a loved one or the breakup of a couple.

Depression can cause it from a serious illness, the effects of certain medicines, genetic inheritance, personality or life problems. Or it can simply appear without apparent reason.

Depression treatment

Reactive depressions are the most common. They do not present regular temporal cycles, they usually do not respond at all well to psychopharmaceutical. It is a more benign state and recovery is influenced by personality factors.

Endogenous depressions are not triggered by any external event, they have regular temporal cycles. They respond better to treatment with psychological combined with psychological treatment and can have a hormonal origin. They can also be genetically predisposed.

Anxiety and depression references

• Sanz, J. (2000). Cognitive processes in anxiety and depression. Madrid: Complutense University of Madrid.
• Stein, d. J. (2003). Cognitive-FFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DESCORDERS. London; New York
• Vallejo Ruiloba, J., & Spent Ferrer, C. (1999). Affective disorders, anxiety and depression (2nd ed.). Barcelona. Masson