In Two Minds

For some people, anxiety can lead to depression – and vice versa. We take a look at how the two can be connected, and what you can do to look after your mental health.

- Sharon Stephenson

SCENARIO ONEA full-time administrator and mother of three is going about her busy life when she starts suffering from panic attacks. “My throat constricts and I can’t breathe,” says the 39-year-old. “The room is spinning and my heart is pounding out of my chest. It’s terrifying because I have no idea what’s happening.”

SCENARIO TWO

After a tough year of trying to manage her anxiety, the single mother falls into a deep depression. “It isn’t about having a bad day and needing a hug – this is a complete and utter sense of isolation and loneliness. I feel worthless, like I’m a failure and have nothing to offer. Even worse, I can’t seem to shake it off.”

Mary Eggerton* finds it hard to believe how easily her life tumbled from the first to the second scenario, particularly because she’s never suffered from either anxiety or depression. “I think the panic attacks were triggered by a number of stressful events, including a marriage break-up, the death of my father and a redundancy. I thought I was coping but it obviously built up. And then the anxiety escalated into depression.”

Mary isn’t alone: surveys show that 60 to 70 per cent of people with depression also have anxiety. And half of those with chronic anxiety also have clinically significant symptoms of depression. It’s what experts call co-morbidity, or suffering from two conditions at the same time.

While anxiety and depression are close cousins they are, in fact, fundamentally different: depression is rooted in low mood and loss of interest or pleasure, while anxiety is steeped in fear and worry.

What are the triggers?