Is it depression or is it anxiety? Here’s how to understand your emotions

Emotions are psychological states that include subjective, physiological and behavioral elements and, in normal language usage, the noun “feeling” is often used as the same as emotion but people often get confused between depression Y anxiety. However, feeling is a technical term that means a generalized bodily awareness of a physiological and mental sensation. Health Experts point out that not all depression is anxiety.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Richa Vashsista, chief mental health expert at AtEase, explained: “A mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life, is depression, while depression is intense, excessive and persistent. Worry and fear about everyday situations is anxiety in which rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, sweating, and feeling tired may occur.”

He added: “Depression and anxiety can co-exist at times – anxiety can be a symptom of depression and it is also common for depression to be triggered by ongoing anxiety or panic disorder. The difference between depression and anxiety is that depression causes feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and reduced energy. Anxiety creates feelings of nervousness, worry, or dread.”

Adding her expertise to it, Dr. Preeti Parakh, a psychiatrist and head of MPower the Center in Kolkata, explained: “Depression refers to a state of mind in which sadness, apathy and lethargy predominate. Anxiety is a state in which worry and fear predominate. Anxiety is usually accompanied by physical symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, tremors, restlessness, etc. Depressed people may also be anxious. Similarly, people with significant anxiety often also experience sadness, but all depressed people are not anxious, and vice versa.”

Speaking about how to seek support, Richa Vashsista advised: “If you experience symptoms, seek help from social support, psychologists and psychiatrists. Developing a self-care practice and taking care of yourself can also help manage symptoms.”

According to Dr. Preeti Parakh, when it comes to treating anxiety and depression, most medications are equally effective in both situations, as is psychotherapy, although there are some differences in the techniques used. She recommended: “For people wondering if they have anxiety or depression, my advice is that both conditions, if they are significant enough to disrupt daily life, require professional help and should not be neglected. Therefore, the emphasis should be on seeking treatment rather than splitting hairs at diagnosis.”