Anxiety vs depression

• Introduction
•             Anxiety can be termed as feeling of doubt and the vulnerability of the future events. In this case therefore people who suffer from this condition are mainly focused on their future prospect and a certain fear that such future event may turn out to bad. Depression on the other hand indicates a range of mental condition that is mainly associated with feeling that the future will definitely turn out to be bad. However, it is important to note that in the case of depression the person involved usually think that they already know and understand what will happen in future. This essay therefore analyses some of the some of the similarities and difference between anxiety and depression.
• Similarities between anxiety and depression
•             The anxiety and depression have various similarities. In this case the both condition exhibit a feeling of hopelessness among the people suffering from the conditions. This is because in both cases the there is feeling that the future will be bad. Another similarity of the two conditions is the fact in both cases the people suffering the condition exhibit a fear of the future happenings. Moreover the people who suffer this condition also show some kind of inability to enjoy the things that used to bring pleasure in their lives. This is because these kinds of people usually think that their future may be doomed and therefore no need to enjoy the current things that bring pleasure.
•            The inability to cope up with stressful condition is another major similarity between the two conditions. In addition, it also important to note that the people suffering from the anxiety disorders are thought to have a certain degree of depression. The same case also is believed to occur in that the people who have depression who also have certain levels of anxiety. In relation to this the anxiety is often thought to come first however, the impact of this condition develops to depression symptom. Both the anxiety and depression are also thought to change the way a person thinks. This is turn has an effect on the people suffering from the conditions since they often fill that the condition is untreatable. Finally, another major similarity of the two conditions is that they require long-term treatment (Huberty, 2012). This is because the two conditions involve one changing the how he or she sees the world. However, it is important to note that this type of change is not easy hence the challenge in the treatment of the two conditions.
• Differences between anxiety and depression
• Anxiety entails the feeling on what is likely to happen in the future whereas depression explains the feeling of sadness and having no hope for the future (Huberty, 2012). Anxiety describes a situation whereby a person has worried thoughts or having the belief that things might not work out well as expected whereas depression explains the situation whereby a person has listlessness or lacking the positive belief towards something especially to the point where the person has no belief that something good can happen.
• Anxiety works as a reaction to stress and in this case, it can be accompanied by such physical reactions chest pain and nausea (Goldberg, 2010). On contrary, depression is the feeling of hopeless together with sadness or even discouragement. In this case, depression might be accompanied by subtle as well as lack of appetite and losing weight. In essence, a person suffering from depression has a serious problem of lacking drive or energy (Huberty, 2012). On the other hand anxiety is accompanied by physical symptoms which include health disorders or health worries.
• A person suffering from depression is subject to flat effect together with slowed behaviors and thinking as compared with anxiety which is accompanied by bowel issues, hyperventilation, and fast heart rate (Durand & Barlow, 2010). In this case, it is clear that depression is mostly associated with few or rare cases of physical symptoms but at the same time associated with dangerous or severe mental problems and can go to extend whereby the victim can easily take their lives. In addition, depression is known to reduced or very low rate of energy which means that victims of depression undergo hard times in daily lives (Durand & Barlow, 2010).
• Conclusion
• Although depression and anxiety are similar in many perspectives, both have differences which are seen from the health and emotions/reactions of the victims in both cases. In this case, depression and anxiety bring changes in the neurotransmitter function, mostly serotonin. Epinephrine and dopamine are common results of depression as well as anxiety. In terms of differences, anxiety describes a situation whereby a person has worried thoughts or having the belief that things might not work out well as expected whereas depression explains the situation whereby a person has listlessness or lacking the positive belief towards something especially to the point where the person has no belief that something good can happen. Depression is mostly associated with mental problems and less physical symptoms.
• Reference
• Durand, V. M., & Barlow, D. H. (2010). Essentials of abnormal psychology. Australia:      Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.
• Goldberg, D. P. (2010). Diagnostic issues in depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.
• Huberty, T. J. R. (2012). Anxiety and depression in children and adolescents: Assessment, intervention, and prevention. New York: Springer.
• Huberty, T. J. R. (2012). Anxiety and depression in children and adolescents: Assessment, intervention, and prevention. New York: Springer.