| By :
Stephen Daniels
Alarming findings of a 2008 survey prove that anxiety and depression are closely linked for the majority of patients that present with these conditions to a professional. A skilled psychiatrist is quick to notice the symptoms of both conditions as they often appear to encroach on one another. It is interesting to note that the link between anxiety and depression is a causative one: one condition may cause the other and vice versa. A psychiatrist may look for the telltale signs of depression: sad moods and an inability to enjoy activities that were formerly fun. This may become compounded by anxiety symptoms such as irritability, agitation, tension, insomnia and aggression. Conversely, the mental health professional may also seek to detect signs of depression when dealing with a patient who displays anxious or obsessive thoughts. While this link is well-established in the psychiatric community today, until recently it was by and large not believed that depression could morph into anxiety at all. Generally speaking, depressive disorders occur secondary to existing anxiety disorders an estimated 37 percent of the time. The reversal occurs in about 32 percent of cases. One psychiatrist has suggested that the close link between both mental illnesses makes them eligible for a single categorization among distress disorders. This finding offers new avenues of treatment to mental health professionals and also determines the scope of the treatment a patient may expect to receive. For example, in the past a psychiatrist might have prescribed medication for one condition but not for the other. Now he may decide to proactively monitor and even prescribe against the secondary condition as well. This, in turn, leads to a much better overall outcome for the patient, who no longer needs to battle mental illness on two fronts. Since depression is now affecting children so much more frequently, it is likely that the psychiatrist specializing in their treatment can negate some of the behavioral difficulties with anticipatory measures. Of course, any mental health condition must be diagnosed by a licensed, skilled and highly trained professional. Just like any other physician, it is the specialist with experience in the field and hands-on training who can make the difference between adequate and exceptional care for a patient. Do not hesitate to seek out a psychiatrist today and undergo an evaluation of your mental health -- especially if you believe to be suffering from one or both of these debilitating conditions.
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