According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI),  the two most common diagnoses being anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. The recent events with the pandemic have just added exacerbated this issue in our modern world.

So if you’re struggling with anxiety and depression, rest assured you’re not alone. 

And since no two people are identical, the fact that they’re the most prevalent mental health disorders is also an indication of how complicated they are, as well as how complex diagnosis and treatment can be.

The causes of anxiety and depression are varied and rarely singular. Often, they’re situational, if you’re going through particularly difficult circumstances, for example. They can also be hereditary. If other members of your family have been diagnosed with either or both, you have a greater chance of experiencing them.

Other underlying chronic health conditions, like diabetes and heart disease, are also often accompanied by anxiety and depression. If you ignore the impact of these conditions on your mental health, it can make the treatment for those same conditions more complicated.

These are just some of the reasons why treatment for anxiety and depression is best handled under guidance and in cooperation with the right clinician.

While you can suffer from both anxiety and depression simultaneously, sometimes one condition is more predominant than the other. A therapist can help determine if that is the case, identify which it is, and develop a treatment plan that addresses it first. This is often necessary before the secondary condition can be addressed. 

A professional can also help determine and rule out other conditions such as bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, dementia, or substance use disorder, for example. 

The most common therapy for anxiety and depression is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), since it is the most effective for addressing negative thought patterns and behaviors and replacing them with more realistic and useful ones. 

Other treatments are mindfulness training, exposure therapy, physical exercise, dietary adjustments, and relaxation and breathing techniques. All of these combined with CBT can serve as part of an effective treatment plan developed with your therapist.

Anxiety and depression can feel all-encompassing and terribly lonely. With the right therapist and the right treatment plan, you can feel confident you’ll never have to face any part of it alone.