Difference between depression and anxiety
This is a topic I believe is so important , we often confuse the two and can get prescribed the wrong medication when we are not able to understand and then unable to explain to the Neurologist in our 15min time with them. I suggest writing in a journal when you experience emotions breath and ask yourself am I depressed about something in particular or does something have me very anxious.
, you bring up a great point. And you share a great tip in journaling one's feelings. Journaling can be a great way to track mood cycles and also pinpoint possible triggers.
I always describe anxiety and depression as sisters, but not twins. There can be a lot of symptom overlap and people can be dealing with both conditions at the same time. But, a knowledgeable mental health professional should be able to differentiate between the two conditions.
I have personally found journaling to be a great way to 'get out of my own head' and, as you mentioned, it can be a good way to help you stop and assess what you are feeling.
I am so glad you shared this and I do hope other community members experiencing depression and/or anxiety will chime in here.
Best, Erin, MultipleSclerosis.net Team Member.
You are so right about this subject, and there is a clear distinction between depression and anxiety. The causes, affects and treatments for each of these are vastly different, as well as the specialists who treat them. Not having the right help, from the right place, for the right amount of time can lead down a wrong path that could be dangerous, costly and time consuming.
I also agree that a good start is to journal the specific experiences—both internal feelings (sad, lethargic, hyper...) and external factors that could be going on (new meds, sensory overload, stressful situations, life changes...). This helps determine a possible/ probable correlation between the two. The timeline is important as well. Taking all these notes in a summarized fashion to the doctor will streamline the course of action.
For example, a person taking steroids for a flareup may be hyper and euphoric during the treatment, but become depressed and weepy for several weeks afterwards. Reassurance from the neuro that this truly is common eliminates distress and validates the emotions. A different example is depression. Depression continuing for a month with feelings of hopelessness and sadness could be a direct cause of the MS itself, requiring a ‘script for an antidepressant from the neurologist. However, if depression is caused by say, post pregnancy--your doctor can refer you to someone specialized in that particular area of therapy.
Thank you, Kathy, for bringing this subject to the forefront. Best, Debbie (team member)
