Even experts in human psychology unanimously agree that diagnosing issues with mental health may be a complex process. Though they have specific diagnostic procedures for identifying various types of mental disorders, they are also at times flummoxed because symptoms of many disorders overlap. Presence of such common symptoms in many disorders may confuse even experts and this may sometimes lead to wrong diagnosis also. Among such disorders, teen anxiety and teen depression have many common symptoms and this is what confuses everyone. If you want to know how teen anxiety is different from teen depression, you should first know the symptoms of these disorders.
Teen anxiety
Anxiety in people and especially in teens involves doubts about their future. They may worry about things that may be imminent also. Another worrying thought that may disturb them may be that something may go wrong. Some of them may feel that they should run away from the scene. They may also want to avoid those things that may be causing anxiety to them.
Teen depression
Young people who have been affected by teen depression may feel sadness and despair because they may be thinking that there is no hope of having a bright future. They will be listless because they may not be able to think that positive things may happen to them. They may worry because they are almost certain that only negative things will happen to them and due to this, they may have negative feelings or emotions. Some of the worst-affected people may have suicidal thoughts also. When you observe the symptoms of teen anxiety and teen depression, you may feel that certain symptoms are common in both and so, you may find it difficult to understand the relationship or know the differences between the two. There are people who may simultaneously have been affected by both teen anxiety and teen depression. In psychological parlance, this condition is known as “comorbid” condition. In certain other young people, depression symptoms may be there due to their problem of anxiety disorder.
Differences between teen anxiety and teen depression
Experts suggest that you should read the primary symptoms for knowing these differences. Mainly, mental symptoms may help you in identifying the differences.
Mental symptoms
If teens have the problem of anxiety, they may feel that some bad thing is likely to happen and they may worry about it. But, in the case of teens who have the problem of depression, they may think that the future will be bad and they have no chances of preventing it. The second difference is that depression comes after anxiety. This is because if teens are constantly anxious, they may feel drained and may have a hopeless feeling even after the bout of anxiety is over. But, it is the second difference that may cause confusion in everyone’s minds because of co-existence of the symptoms. At the same time, you cannot completely assume that those with depression may not worry since they may be resigned to a bleak future. They may worry that things may worsen though they are very much positive about a negative future.
Differences in physical symptoms
In anxiety, the drained feeling and fatigue occur only after the anxiety attack. But, in depression, such a feeling and fatigue will always remain even without the necessity of any triggers.
Physical symptoms of anxiety
These teens may have symptoms like shaking, rapid heart rate, issues with their bowel movements, hyperventilation and perspiration. They may feel that they should run away, move away from the scene, etc. If they have anxiety related to health issues, they may have symptoms of the health disorders about which they worry.
Physical symptoms of depression
Teens affected by depression may lack in energy. In fact, they may not have the drive to do anything. There may be lack of emotions also because they are resigned to the illusory fact that nothing is going to change their negative future. They may be slow in thinking and in their activities. Most of them may have changes in their appetite, they may have headaches and they may also have sleep-related problems. From the above, you may observe that the physical symptoms of depression are fewer than those in anxiety but, the mental symptoms of depression can be very serious because some of the affected people may have suicidal tendencies or thoughts. Since they lack in energy, they may have fatigue also and this may be quite “visible” in these people. So, their routine life itself will be a great struggle while they are suffering from teen depression or teen anxiety.