Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine

Anxiety & Depression Disorders

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Anxiety disorders are actually quite common and it has been estimated that over one quarter of the general population will experience a real anxiety disorder during their lifetime. Commonly anxiety disorders co-exist with other medical conditions, especially depression. The majority of people who have depressive illness also experience symptoms of anxiety, there is evidence that these two conditions share similar disturbances in brain chemical function, specifically in serotonin transmission. Symptoms of anxiety and depression thus frequently overlap and people with anxiety disorders may feel, as do depressed people, agitated, guilty, exhausted, insomniac, and socially withdrawn. Anxiety caused by medications or substance or alcohol abuse is not typically recognized as an anxiety disorder.

Depression is not a character flaw or sign of personal weakness. Depression is the common cold of mental disorders — most people will be affected by depression in their lives either directly or indirectly, through a friend or family member. Confusion is commonplace about depression, for example, about what depression exactly is and what makes it different from just feeling down. There is also confusion surrounding the many types of depression e.g.: Depression is characterized by a number of common symptoms. These include a persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood, and feelings of hopelessness or pessimism, unipolar depression, biological depression, manic depression, seasonal affective disorder, dysthymia, etc