Anxiety and depression are very common mental illnesses. Learn the difference between anxiety and depression:
Anxiety is a distressing emotion that combines physical symptoms with worrying thoughts (worrying, rumination, obsessions, doubts, and fears).
Different anxiety disorders are characterized by their triggers, the severity of their symptoms, and their duration.
In panic disorder, anxiety occurs without a specific cause. The severity of symptoms peaks within minutes. The person may believe they are going to faint or have a heart attack.
In generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety is almost always present. The person worries about everything: the future, their health, their relationships, their finances, and the state of the planet.
In obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety takes the form of an obsessive thought that the person cannot suppress (for example, fear of getting cancer, fear of committing an illegal act such as stealing, or recurring doubts about it).
Depression, on the other hand, is a state of energy deprivation accompanied by decreased nerve tone and impaired motor skills.
Its severity is associated with suicide and the consequences of occupational inactivity. Temporary (sick leave) or permanent (disability), this condition can affect any individual without specific predictive factors.
Major depression is defined by daily symptoms persisting for more than 15 days, interruption of previous employment, and the presence of numerous depressive symptoms and their disabling impact on daily life.