Depression and anxiety disorders are probably the two most common forms of mental illness. Millions of Americans are affected by depression; millions more by anxiety. There is a high rate of overlapping between the two disorders, as is shown statistically; 70% of persons with depression also suffer from anxiety. Half of all anxiety disorder patients also suffer from depression. The two coexist so frequently that some psychologists and researchers now view anxiety and depression as two sides of the same disorder.

Most people have feelings of sadness at some point in their lives. The loss of a job, death of a loved one, or other disappointments, causes many of the symptoms of depression. Similarly, most people experience anxiety at some point in their lives when confronted with stressful situations. These feelings are normal, up to a point. When feelings of overwhelming sadness or hopelessness, accompanied by fatigue, and changes of appetite and sleep patterns persist for more than a few weeks, the person may be diagnosed with clinical depression. When feelings of anxiety are out of proportion to the stresses being experienced, or a person has panic attacks several times over a period of weeks, they may be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety and depression are so often intertwined that one must be treated before the other can be dealt with. The internet site Separation Anxiety Disorder will provide you with a lot more explanatory information.

Just as there is a lot of overlap between depression and anxiety, there is also a lot of overlap in treatment for the two disorders. Anxiety disorders are often treated with antidepressant medications. Some forms of psychotherapy, especially cognitive and behavioral therapy, have been very successful in treating both anxiety and depression. At times, it may be necessary to treat the depression first. In one form of therapy, called exposure therapy, the patient is exposed to gradually increasing stress factors to help them learn to cope with anxiety. Depression can drain a person of energy and leave them unable to cooperate, so sometimes it must be dealt with first for the anxiety therapy to be effective.

Often, doctors must treat patients for depression for anxiety therapies to work, but this is not always the case. Anxiety disorders usually become obvious during childhood or adolescence. Depression typically doesn’t appear until a person is in their mid-twenties. This means that by catching and treating a young person’s anxiety, doctors may be able to prevent depression from developing later in life. Since depression and anxiety are so often interconnected, the treatments for both must also be connected.

Millions of individuals deal with anxiety and depression each and every of their lives. They are locked in a vicious cycle of needing assistance but not recognizing the best way to get it. If you are enduring  these conditions it has the ability to make each minute seem like an eternity. It alters who you are as well as what you wish to be. But do not loose hope. There is a brilliant future going forward for you if you take the time to know your condition and ailment. It might look hopeless from time to time but you can get through this. Click here to get the help you need : Long Term Cures For Anxiety  another great resources is Social Anxiety Disorder