Does anxiety=sadness?

[notwaving]

Is anxiety just the same thing as depression? I guess that's dumb question. All I know is that my anxiety will climb and climb, higher and higher, until it finally sort of tops off and I collapse into a heap of sadness and feeling overwhelmed. That's how I feel right now, overwhelmed. My work is frustrating--I work as a freelance writer and I can't get any jobs. My personal life is lame--I never meet anyone I want to date and I don't feel I have any close friends I can confide in or even people I feel much like hanging out with anymore. I'm just trapped in this house by myself with not enough to do, and it's hot and humid today and I'm just miserable. All I can do is obsessively ruminate on things that have gone wrong and relationships that are for 0103. I feel terrible right now you guys ... Sorrt. I just needed to vent.

[firebird]

Is anxiety just the same thing as depression? I guess that's dumb question. All I know is that my anxiety will climb and climb, higher and higher, until it finally sort of tops off and I collapse into a heap of sadness and feeling overwhelmed. That's how I feel right now, overwhelmed. My work is frustrating--I work as a freelance writer and I can't get any jobs. My personal life is lame--I never meet anyone I want to date and I don't feel I have any close friends I can confide in or even people I feel much like hanging out with anymore. I'm just trapped in this house by myself with not enough to do, and it's hot and humid today and I'm just miserable. All I can do is obsessively ruminate on things that have gone wrong and relationships that are for ****. I feel terrible right now you guys ... Sorrt. I just needed to vent.

It's obvious that anxiety exhausts people, and than some people get depressed by this. But there's a difference between sufferers from depression and anxiety- patients. The story you're telling is familiar to me, even though now i don't realy have the same problems anymore. It's important to join somekind of group or club to feel acceptance from people and built up confidence. Isolation will make things worse. Let other love ones help you and tell your story to people you trust.

I hope things will get better, good luck.

[ocdengineer]

Most people who have anxiety have depression at one time or another and the opposite is not normally true.  Most people who are depressed are legitimately depressed for long periods of time.  People with anxiety may get depressed for awhile as a result of long term anxiety and then snap out of it and repeat the cycle.  I know exactly how you feel.  I still deal with the cycle to some extent now and am also in a low mood moment.  I know it will go away in a day or so and then I will be my normal anxious self.  LOL.  There are things that will helps stabilize your mood.  Exercise is great.  It burns off some of that anxiety and the less anxiety you have the less depression you will have.  Exercise also increases your levels of endorphins which make you feel happy and full of energy.  Meditation and learning to control thoughts and breathing help to control your mood.  You can learn to notice your mood like you and I have and not attach too much worry to it.  I still get a littel worried, but I am at the point where it doesn't really affect me too much.  I am also very stressed with work and living in a new state, so I understand how you feel.

Hope you feel better soon!
OE

[bettys814]

I have had many times where the anxiety MADE me feel depressed.  I don't really suffer from depression, but when my anxiety is bad, I do get sad because I just wish I was like "normal" people and I could do the things I used to do...It's only normal to feel sad to some extent, I think.

[Copper]

Remember though, sadness is not the same thing as depression. If you think you might be depressed there are questionnaire type tests you can take to see where you stand. GAD can make you feel pretty miserable, after two years of constant symptoms I asked my therapist to give me a depression test. I just felt so miserable all the time that I felt that I had to be depressed. But I was basically at the high end of what is considered normal mood disturbance (ie., I had no depression.) Quite fankly, I'm not sure what difference it makes. Whether you are depressed or have GAD it boils down to a reduced quality of life

[saneyetcrazy]

Yeah my GAD has been linked with depression almost since the beginning.  I get so stressed sometimes I get depressed cuz it seems there's nothing I can do about it.

[notwaving]

Hey guys, thanks for your replies. I know what you're saying--regardless of what it's called it feels bad. There certainly is a difference between clinical depression and sadness. I think I've always, all my life, had mild depression and bad anxiety. Sometimes I just wonder if they're two sides of the same coin, or what. I guess it varies from person to person. I hate my anxiety, and the little bugaboos, the beasties that come and sit in my brain when I'm least expecting it, just to torture me with obsessive, unhappy thoughts. When it's not there it's hard to remember how bad it is. But when it comes back--ugh. It stinks.

[elguero]

I think depression results from an overflow of stress or anxiety. It's like when you fill up a barrel with water once it reaches the top it overflows but if you have a valve and release the pressure you'll be able to control the level. In my case I've been stressed out for years and 18 months ago one day I just started crying. I cried everyday for 2 weeks and I could not figure out what was wrong with me. I guess my body could not hold any more stress and anxiety ant it released some of the pressure in the form of tears. That's when I found out I was depressed and suffered from GAD. I felt better for the next year after that but a few months ago it started again, crying, sadness and fear, another overflow. Now I have to find the right valve for my body to release the pressure. A valve in the form of medication, meditation, exercise, or whatever works for your body. For me, I have not found the right one. Medication makes me feel worse, feel too exhausted to exercise and hard to meditate with wife and three kids around.