What Is Mixed Depressive and Anxiety Disorder?

Many have heard of clinical depression and clinical anxiety. Their both mental health disorders but have distinctions that make them two separate diagnoses.

However, someone may not quite meet either diagnosis but still suffer from many of both disorders’ symptoms. In this case, they may be experiencing a mixed anxiety-depressive disorder. Learn more about this disorder, its causes, and its symptoms below.

The Basics

Having constant worry and feeling low in energy, mood, and motivation is what doctors describe as depressive and anxiety disorder. However, it only becomes a diagnosable disease when intense feelings stop you from enjoying life. When you constantly have to worry about things beyond your control or feel sad and lonely, then you could be experiencing symptoms of both depression and anxiety.

While everyone may experience some of these feelings throughout their lives, it shouldn’t be a seemingly endless state of being. The best thing to do when you have persistent and intense feelings of anxiety and depression is to seek help from a qualified therapist. Today, support is even closer to you because you can find highly experienced and professional therapists online.

What Could Cause Anxiety and Depression

The exact cause of the disorder is unknown. However, many factors in a person’s life can ultimately contribute to someone developing chronic feelings of depression and anxiety.

Genetics

Since depression and anxiety are both mental health disorders, studies have shown that genes can be a significant cause of the illness. If you have a sibling, especially a twin or a parent with the conditions, there is a high chance you might suffer from that too.

However, you can also get depressive anxiety disorder without any genetic relation to anyone with the condition because it is caused by a combination of factors, not just one aspect.

Stressful Situations

The leading cause of depression and anxiety is everyday stressful life situations. If you are constantly facing difficult times, you tend to worry about the things surrounding the situation all the time. Prolonged stress leads to depression, which sometimes goes hand in hand with anxiety.

Physical Illness

Another factor likely to cause anxiety and depressive episodes is an illness, especially physical illness. Although this is a minor factor, it cannot be ignored because it plays a role in the disorder. People with severe physical illness could easily fall into depression or have constant worry.

Personality Structure

Your personality could also contribute to these two mental health issues. People who are perfectionists, pessimists, self-critical, and those who set extremely high standards for themselves are at risk of being in constant worry and feeling sad. As much as personality cannot be the only factor that causes depressive and anxiety disorder, it can contribute to the feelings of fear and sadness that lead to the condition.

Medication

Some medications like those for heart failure, anemia, birth control pills, and hepatitis are among drugs that could cause symptoms of depression and anxiety. The symptoms come as a side effect of the medication, which is why you should seek therapy while on these medications.

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is another factor that can lead you to either anxiety, depression, or both. Alcoholism and significant drug abuse are associated with stress because most drug addicts get into the situation to try and run away or hide from real-life problems. Instead of turning to drugs for temporary relief, it is advisable to seek therapy when you encounter challenging situations in life.

Mixed Depressive and Anxiety Disorder Symptoms — What It Affects

Your Mood

Constant feelings of unhappiness characterize mixed depressive and anxiety disorders. You also may lose interest in the activities that were previously fun and withdraw from social activities. Depression makes you lack the enthusiasm to engage in any social activities, while anxiety will have you worried every time you are in a social setting.

The disorder also increases your worry senses, making you constantly worried about every aspect of your life, including work and family. It also makes you feel hopeless, affecting your energy and motivation levels. People with depressive and anxiety disorders often cannot enjoy the simple things in life because of their consistently low moods.

Your Body

You can also notice the symptoms of mixed depressive and anxiety disorder in your body. A dry mouth and dizziness are some bodily symptoms you can experience. However, these symptoms must be accompanied by other symptoms to classify them as depression or anxiety symptoms conclusively.

That is mainly because the two symptoms are shared with other illnesses too. Other bodily symptoms include muscle tension, trembling, lack of appetite, rapid heart rate, and less sexual desire. You will also experience low energy levels in your body, which makes you feel tired most of the time.

Your Mind

Depressive and anxiety disorder is a mental condition affecting your mind more than any other body part. There is a lack of concentration, lack of sleep, negative thoughts, and easy irritability. You will also tend to feel unmotivated or hopeless because of the condition.

It is vital to get help for mixed depressive and anxiety disorder because, as seen in the symptoms, it can affect the quality of your life and how you interact with others. When you start noticing signs, reach out to a cognitive behavioral therapist to get the needed help.

Conclusion

Depression and anxiety can be detrimental to your health when they occur independently. Therefore, the effects are even more when you have mixed depressive and anxiety disorder because now you have to deal with the feeling of intense sadness and worry at the same time. While it is manageable in its first stages, it could worsen if no recommended treatment is received.

The first step toward the healing process is always asking for help and being willing to embrace the treatment. An excellent cognitive behavioral therapist will help you cope with whatever is causing the constant worry and help you see life from a different light. If you have been feeling sad and worried lately, it is time to ask for help.

Mixed Depressive and Anxiety Disorder & CBT

Cognitive behavioural therapy is an effective treatment for depression and anxiety disorders. This type of therapy teaches you how to modify the negative thoughts and beliefs that contribute to your condition. It also helps you develop healthy coping mechanisms.

Access CBT offer CBT treatment for all types of depressive and anxiety disorder issues with in-person depression CBT Counselling in Liverpool or Online Support

The NHS UK also offers a number of support groups and advice for those suffering from depression and anxiety disorders