Depression and Anxiety confusion

[a_hiding_rainbow]

 hi so I've been diagnosed with both anxiety and depression in my life but no diagnosis in the last little while as the last year was pretty stable. everything has just flared up the last few weeks.

I want to know which comes first, anxiety or depression because they seem to be constantly linked. Sometimes I'm definitely more one than the other but not the majority.

I'm new to this while forum thing and I hate asking for help but I'm getting to the stage where I need it if I want to try and cope. So much of this confuses me and I'm constantly blaming myself. I sorry of believe it's not just me but I also don't want it to be my crutch and excuse in life....

[Lucas]

Most are a mix of the other, big work project you stress about then don't do as well as you should and you get depressed... Spend alot of time trying to get out of depression that you start to stress about what others think and what you should really be doing... Cycle continues.

As someone who's battled with depression for nearly 15 years, best advice is to try and focus on what matters, what in your life you can use to pry yourself up and get forward. you have been diagnosed so I guess now is follow the instructions of professionals aswell as doing what you find assists with the symptoms. Good luck.

[S_A_D_]

Depression is a saddened emotional state triggered by many things, including regret about things from the past, recent and distant.

Anxiety is a stressed out and tense emotional state usually triggered by fear of hypothesised future events, near and distant.

Everyone has a past and a future. When a person becomes ill, their mind uses what it knows about the past we regret to generate theories about more similarly bad things happening in the future.

Anxiety based fear is very different from our fear of real danger. When dangerous circumstances present themselves to us regularly, it can warp our expectations and generate anxiety. We then look back into our past and notice that it has happened before without our recognising it, which we regret.

As you can see, it can happen in either direction, and usually happens simultaneously

[kellie70]

1st thing - Don't blame yourself

2nd thing - Don't be afraid to ask for help

I find depression and anxiety take it in turns as to what comes first. 

And sometimes it feels like both are wrestling inside my head and tummy

When you are caught up in that whirlwind, just take some deep breaths, and close your eyes. Start to listen to background noises that you don't normally stop to hear, clock ticking, dog barking down the road, washing machine whirring.

I find this can help bring you back to the present moment, and take away that edge of anxiety

Take care 🙂

[The_Real_David_Charles]

Dear Rainbow,

What comes first ?   What comes first ?   There are some great responses by Lucas, Facetious and Kellie  [sounds like a Law Firm].  It's true that anxiety and depression are mutually exclusive the way that you have to open a door first before you go through it.  Except in mental health it's normally referred to as a revolving door due to the possibility of relapse.  Some people never emerge from a revolving door !

What comes first ?  How about YOU ?   Treat yourself as a real, kind, loving person and worry about the other stuff like anxiety and depression when it happens.  Kellie is right that misdirection will help.  Taking your mind off yourself seems to give a more healthy perspective than questioning why, why, why ?

Adios, David.