What is the difference between Anxiety and Depression?

Have you ever wondered what the difference between anxiety and depression is? Here we will look at the difference between the two and how they can look very similar.

Definitions

Depression

"Can also be called major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, thinks, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working." (NIMH)

Anxiety

"Anxiety is the anticipation of future threats."

"Fear is the emotional response to a real or perceived imminent threat" (American Psychiatric Association, pg, 189, 2013).

Symptoms

Depression

• Lack of enjoyment

• Unable to enjoy things they used to find enjoyable.

• Lack of motivation

• Change in biological functioning

Anxiety

• Feeling Nervousness

• Not being able to control, stop or worry

• Worrying too much about different things

• Trouble relaxing

• Being so restless that it is hard to sit still.

• Becoming easily annoyed or irritable

Timeframe

Depression

Symptoms need to be present for two weeks,

Anxiety

Symptoms need to be present for six months

Interplaying together Depression and Anxiety

Depression and Anxiety can interplay with each other. Some people can experience both anxiety and depression at the same time.

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References

American Psychiatric Association. (2017). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: Dsm-5 (1st ed., Vol. 5).