anxiety without depression?

[matty_t]

Hey guys, this is a confusing one. I suffer from very bad anxiety as I'm sure many of you do too. However, sometimes I'm afraid that I might get depressed, or that I am depressed. The thing is...it seems like it's just anxiety telling me I am. I've never actually had depression, there are things I enjoy a lot. Obviously as the anxiety mounts it makes it harder to feel happy. But I never lose hope, and I always feel like doing things no matter what. Why does anxiety convince me so much that I'm depressed??

[gypsylee]

Does it really matter whether or not you are technically depressed though? If you never lose hope and always feel like doing things, then it isn't an issue. I think maybe you think about things too much (don't we all!)

:)

[matty_t]

Haha to a logical mind, your response is actually perfect. Then when my anxiety kicks in I'm like..wait is this right?

I actually really like your response. What I guess has got me thinking about it is all the information I'm hearing about depression so that my anxious mind kicks in and goes "what if I become depressed too?" Realistically though, I've been suffering anxiety, panic attacks, ocd etc. for almost a decade and very rarely have felt like overwhelming depression. Possibly I am just getting myself worried that I might be depressed if I feel anxious all the time.

[needtogetwell]

It's your anxious mind in overdrive again, looking for something which doesn't exist.

You definitely have your head screwed on straight, you see it for what it is!

You've got this!

[matty_t]

Haha thanks, I absolutely know it is an inappropriate thought, my mind is just very very good at convincing me otherwise at the time :P

[gypsylee]

Haha to a logical mind, your response is actually perfect. Then when my anxiety kicks in I'm like..wait is this right?

I actually really like your response. What I guess has got me thinking about it is all the information I'm hearing about depression so that my anxious mind kicks in and goes "what if I become depressed too?" Realistically though, I've been suffering anxiety, panic attacks, ocd etc. for almost a decade and very rarely have felt like overwhelming depression. Possibly I am just getting myself worried that I might be depressed if I feel anxious all the time.

I'm glad you like it :) The anxious mind is very open to suggestion, so I guess the fact that anxiety and depression go together makes you wonder "do I have depression as well?" But like I say, if you don't feel hopeless then you probably aren't depressed.

[matty_t]

Yeah I've been through some of the worst anxiety periods and even at their worst, I don't think I really lost hope. I always had a glimmer of "well I haven't tried this, maybe it would work too" whether it be new medication, new therapy etc. Unfortunately, I had experience with pschs and councilors making the assumption that I was depressed, and gave me a whole bunch of information related to it, most of it I couldn't identify with. It ended up confusing my anxious mind. The good news is that I just made my way through another relapse of anxiety which wasn't nearly half as bad as how it used to be (as in I am still here typing in this forum instead of having to run out of the house and walk around the block for no reason haha)