Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental illnesses. In depression a person will feel low and sad whereas in anxiety a person will go through overwhelming emotions. Follow this article to explore the common signs of anxiety and depression and tips for someone who’s getting a job with anxiety and depression.
Depression and anxiety are two of the most common illnesses when it comes to your mental health. It is common to have both at the same time, in many cases anxiety may be associated with clinical depression or vice versa. A person may be suffering from depression which means he/she finds it difficult to participate in anything or they feel low and sad but at the same time he/she might also be suffering from anxiety which means they often feel overwhelming emotions.
According to a worldwide survey, 41.6% of people suffer from both anxiety and depression. Most of the time the treatment for both anxiety and depression is the same, they go hand in hand. It is often termed as an antidepressant. They are also known as fraternal twins. One illness may motivate the other. Both of them are not entirely the same but the treatment procedure mostly goes in the same direction.
Follow this article to learn about the common signs of anxiety and depression and also some of the tips for someone who’s getting a job with anxiety and depression.
Table of Contents
Is there any link between anxiety and depression?
Depression is a mental illness which is considered as a low energy state. A person who is depressed will try not to associate themselves with any extra activity. They will feel low and sad. It can be the result of financial instability, losing a job, losing a family member or a friend, or facing a life tragedy. Depression can also lead to a person being associated with substance abuse and self harm. A person might get into alcohol addiction to avoid their reality for a while.
However, anxiety is an illness where a person feels every emotion at an extreme level. They will get extremely sad, happy, excited, or angry. And a person might feel these emotions for a limited amount of time. Whereas depression is a more long term illness, a person may get over their anxiety after having their medication or after going for a walk. Anxiety is when a person for sometime starts overthinking about everything they do.
Anxiety and depression are both associated with each other. A person who is suffering from clinical depression is likely to feel anxiety. People say that they are fraternal twins and go hand in hand. The treatment for anxiety and depression is mostly the same. According to research, people suffering from depression have a high chance of also being anxious time and again.
What are the common signs of anxiety and depression?
There are many signs that help in recognizing either anxiety or depression but not all of these signs are common between these two illnesses. Some of the most common signs of anxiety and depression are as follows.
- Apathy
- Helplessness
- Change of habits
- Fatigue
- Difficulty in making decisions
- Mood swings
- Unending worry
- Isolation
- Disturbance while sleeping
Apathy:
Apathy means disassociating yourself from the activities that you used to bring you joy. You start to ignore the little things that you used to enjoy. This is a major sign of having anxiety and depression. You start neglecting your hobbies and you don’t enjoy your life anymore. This may be a result of facing some difficulties in life like financial problems or dealing with the loss of a family member or a friend.
Helplessness:
Most of the time you feel helpless. You don’t know what to do and where to go. You feel like you have reached your limit and then you give up. You leave your tasks in the middle because of the extreme emotions that you might be feeling at the moment. It is the classic sign of anxiety and depression.
Change of habits:
Since you don’t do things that used to bring you joy anymore, you have found yourself a substitute. This affects your lifestyle greatly. A person going through depression and anxiety might choose substance abuse or self harm as a way of dealing with all the pain and emotional burden they are carrying at the moment.
Fatigue:
You feel low and tired. When you are going through depression and anxiety then, you will feel as if all the energy has been drained from you. You will want nothing more than to be left alone. You are constantly tired and exhausted. You feel like you are going to die from all the fatigue and exhaustion. You have tension in your shoulder muscles and neck.
Difficulty in making decisions:
A person suffering from depression and anxiety will have a hard time making decisions. They will overthink about each and everything and even after making a decision they will work themselves up. They will keep on thinking about all the negative outcomes of their decision and not a single positive thought will cross their mind. They are too focused on letting themselves down.
Mood swings:
A person who is suffering from depression and anxiety will experience mood swings. One minute they will want something and the very next minute they will want nothing to do with it. It will be because they are facing too many emotions at the same time and some emotions are more stronger than others.
Unending worry:
They will overthink every little thing. They will think of every possible negative outcome before they make a decision. Even after that they will keep on worrying about the what if’s of the situation. This is one of the most important signs of having anxiety associated with your depression. You don’t want to think about a certain thing but your anxiety is making you overthink that situation.
Isolation:
A person who is going through anxiety and depression will try to isolate themselves. They will limit their social gatherings and won’t initiate a conversation. If they are working as a team then, they will silently do all the work and they will never speak or pitch any idea they have. That’s because they don’t want to communicate with anyone and they will agree to anything that is being decided.
Disturbance while sleeping:
Depression and anxiety will not let a person sleep peacefully at night. A person will be awake all night overthinking about everything. Your brain will keep on working and this will make you feel tired and fatigued. You might start talking to yourself negatively or due to your depression suicidal thoughts are coming into your mind.
Anxiety vs. Depression – which one do you have?
There are many similarities and many dissimilarities between anxiety and depression. While you know about the common signs of anxiety, here are some of the differences between them so you would know which one you have.
| Anxiety | Depression |
| A person who is suffering from anxiety will be more agitated. They will feel everything at extreme. | A person suffering from depression will feel low, sad, and drained. They will just want everything to stop. |
| Anxiety can lead to depression | A person who is going through depression might lead themselves to suicidal thoughts. |
| Physical symptoms are also present after you have an attack. | You don’t have any significant physical symptoms per say but surely there are behavioral changes that might make other people suspicious about your mental health. |
| A person who is suffering from anxiety will always be ready with a flight or fight response. | A person suffering from depression will feel low, drained, hopeless, worthless, they will lose their appetite, and their sleeping pattern will be disturbed. |
| It may not be with you as a long term illness. You will feel relieved after a particular problem is solved. | A person can be depressed for a very long time. They will permanently feel stressed associating it with the feeling of hopelessness and worthlessness. |
These key differences will help you identify your correct behavior. It may be possible that you face symptoms from both the categories. In that case, your depression is now associated with anxiety or vice versa. A professional therapist will help you a lot in this matter.
What are the best jobs for people dealing with anxiety and depression?
Dealing with the workload is hard for everyone but it is especially hard for people who are also battling with anxiety and depression. They feel drained and hopeless, they will have a hard time making important decisions, and they will feel uncomfortable near strangers. It is hard to land your ideal job especially when you are also battling a mental illness. Here are some of the best jobs for people dealing with anxiety and depression.
- Librarian
- Data entry
- Entrepreneur
- Writer
- Fitness trainer
- Geologist
Librarian:
As someone who likes to stay alone or be in a quiet place, being a librarian is one of the best jobs. You can be around books away from the outside world and you don’t have to communicate with strangers for a long time. You spend your time reading and exploring a whole new world. Somewhere you can be alone with your thoughts for a while.
Data entry:
Data entry is the most classic job for someone who wants to work from the comfort of their home. If you are good with numbers then this might be the perfect job for you. This job is beneficial for a person who does not feel like going out and communicating with strangers. You can work for different companies like healthcare, finance, or logistics.
Entrepreneur:
It is a dream job for any person. To be your own boss and to make your own rules. You don’t work under anyone, you simply execute the idea that you had for years but you were too scared to do anything about it. You find the courage to pitch your idea to some investors and very soon you will be working as your own boss.
Writer:
One of the most desirable jobs for a person who has many thoughts in their head but is afraid to say them. Being a writer will allow you to pen down your each and every thought. You will write all those things that you always wanted to say. You create your own world and make it brighter and happier, just the way you wanted.
Fitness trainer:
You find the courage from other people. You help others in their healing process and you will see yourself getting better. You practice mediation, yoga, and other physical exercise with your clients. You work in the open air and let all the negative thoughts out of your mind. You get inspiration from the people you work with.
Geologist:
You work in the field, in the open, and in different parts of the world researching about the life before you and finding secrets hidden deep below the earth. Even when you are not working in the field, you will be working alone in the lab doing your research and finding proofs that support your theory.
What are some of the tips for someone who’s getting a job with anxiety and depression?
Everyone needs some tips and tricks when they are getting a new job but for a person who is suffering from anxiety and depression these tips are absolutely necessary. Following are some of the tips for a person who’s getting a job with anxiety and depression.
- Know the warning signs
- Don’t self medicate
- Take time off
- Try to make some new friends
- Physical exercise
- Seek help from a professional
- Lifestyle changes
Know the warning signs:
Learn about your triggers and know the warning signs. Like how your breathing escalates or how you start sweating. Whenever you feel like one of the warning signs is acting up immediately get yourself away from that situation. Always have emergency medications with you and try to calm your breathing.
Don’t self medicate:
Never use medications for your depression and anxiety on your own. Consult a healthcare professional. They will do your thorough check up and give you medications according to your health keeping in mind your allergies. If you buy any medicine from over the counter and it contains any element that you are allergic to or you overdose on the medicine then it’s going to be an extreme problem for you.
Take time off:
Take micro breaks after completing a task. Go outside, relax your mind, and think about anything other than your work. That way when you come back after 5 – 10 minutes you will feel more relaxed and this will help you be more creative and productive.
Try to make some new friends:
When you start working for a new company you don’t have to hide from the rest of the world. Try talking to a few people. This will help you in being more comfortable at your workplace. You will find something you can look up to when coming to work the next day. You will be excited to meet your new friends.
Physical exercise:
Try exercising regularly. This will help you in keeping your muscles relaxed. A morning walk to run will help you feel more energized, you will feel fresh and ready to start your day. Physical exercise will help you in keeping your mind fresh and away from all the hassle. You will be able to enjoy the outside world.
Seek help from a professional:
When things get out of your hands then, you must seek help from a professional. A professional therapist will listen to your thoughts and help you in getting the answers that you are seeking. You will be able to share your feelings with someone who you know is not going to judge you.
Lifestyle changes:
Change your habits. I know it is a lot easier said than done but you have to recognize what are the things that you weren’t doing before. Things that you would like to stop and things that are messing up the peace of your mind. Change them, slowly and gradually. Take one step at a time. Very soon you will be able to feel the change in the whole vibe, you feel positive energy radiate from you.
Conclusion:
It is not easy getting a job when you are battling depression and anxiety. You feel fatigued, drained, sad, lonely, desperate, hopeless, worthless, and so much more. You feel all of these emotions sometimes at the same time. You have no idea what is causing them but you are fighting something that you cannot even see. It is possible that some people might find a way to deal with their pain through self harm or substance abuse.
But those who want to change their life and they want their misery to stop must seek help from a professional therapist. They will be able to help you in getting out of this mess. You will see that gradually everything that wasn’t making sense before suddenly makes sense. You feel all the negative thoughts leave your mind. This journey towards healing will jot happen in just one day or one week. You will have to be patient with yourself and have to trust yourself. Take one step at a time.
