Anxiety and Depression Hand in hand?

It seems lately that my anxiety is on a roller coaster ride, but I have seem to had some bad depression as well lately. Do they go hand in hand? Does one cause the other or are they the same?
It really isn't fun. Work really brings it out, but I am the same way at home on occasions.

Hi Cory. I find that they're linked. In my case, I think the depression fuels the anxiety, which makes the depression worse. You know, you start doing the "what ifs" and then you get depressed about what's going to happen after the "what ifs" happen, and on and on. They just seem to feed off each other something awful.

Yes, anxiety and depression go hand in hand. Sometimes I can tell when one starts the other, but most times I can't. They just seem to happen together.

Are you taking any medications for the depression/anxiety? I am. Took a Klonopin this morning that I don't usually need.

Hang in there. You're not alone.

Yes, for sure- for me they are inseparable. I've never identified my mood swings as anxiety/depression but that's what they're treating me for now at last (not that it's helping much, so far)

oops, sorry to go on about myself...........

Yes I am taking meds. They have greatly helped the anxiety. However, it just seems that I get the "blues" for a few days and then I kind of snap out of it. The last few days I have been depressed, but the high stressfull anxiety hasn't been there completly. IT is an unusual cycle.
My biggest problem is the "hurry-up" what a vicious circle and also the "What-ifs"

Hi chi ! I think its a case of which came first "the chicken or the egg"? Like while I was experiencing severe panic attacks (undiagnosed, thinking I was just NUTZ), I became depressed. The anxiety and panic attacks were controlling my life, I could go almost no where except for work (luckily I worked for Doctors and felt "If I fall out from whatever the heck is wrong with me, they can DO something to help me". Then I became totally housebound. WHO wouldnt get depressed? However, once my anxiety and panic were under control, I have experienced no "clinical" depression. I have BLAH times, but I would guess that everyone has those, and "situational depression" as well. Your job seems quite stressful (altho I really don't know what your job is), and you have mentioned deadlines, etc, which adds stress to your already stressed out system. Your feelings of the "blues" could be what I call "let down times" - especially if these times are after an extremely stressful period - where you are wound up tight as a tick - get thru that stressful issue, and your body just sorta kicks back to relax.

I am soooooo happy to hear that you think your meds for the anxiety are working !!!!! Keep on keepin on !

If I think about my husband, I would say definitely that they go hand in hand. However, I can be very anxious yet not depressed. I think it has something to do with how your anxiety manifests itself. Some people become paralyzed with anxiety (leading to depression) and others end up running around like chickens without a head (I'm the latter, but it makes me feel like I'm doing something)

i think they go hand in hand. sometimes i'll have horrible anxiety, without the depression..but that is rare.....

Thanks for all the responses! Your feedback is very helpful.
I think alot of my problem this week is that my boss is on vacation thrus and Friday and I of course am catastrophizing about "what could" happen in her absence. "How do I handle It? I ask myself. Oh no! What if?!
I just need to realize I can only do one thing at a time and if I can't do it then I have to find someone who can help me.

Wow Chitown - you sound like my husband.

My motto is: "if other people can do it (handle it, whatever) then so can I"

A neighbor told me that is a kind of dangerous way of seeing the world, but I didn't understand what she meant. But that motto keeps me moving past my fear, so I'm not going to over-analyze what she meant.

I like that motto. I just wish I could feel that way right now. I am sitting here at work freaking out about what I have to do and the problems that keep popping up and how am I going to solve them? It's fun being a hudled mass of tears in the corner of my office
I am sooo scared that I can't do it and that I am loosing control.

I am sooo tired of fighting this! I hate fighting this! It tears me apart and rips at my well being and my desires.
I am loosing the battle right now. I have to go. Thanks all for the responses.

Chi - sorry you are feeling so bad right now ! You have identified alot of your issues - the catastrophizing, what ifs, etc, but dont leave out the "fortune telling" - you are already worried about things going bad while the boss is away - and you have no way of knowing what will or will not happen thurs and fri ! PLEASE remember that you have felt this way before, and lived to tell about it, and you will make it thru this time too ! Try staying in the present, right this second, not worrying about 2 minutes from now. Baby steps lead you towards big steps ! Keep on keepin on !!!!

Pah! Of course you can do it. We'll help. Tell us what you have to do and we'll break it down for you and hold your virtual hand. Please begin...

Thanks Guys! My big problem is "Hurry UP". I am a customer service/sales enginneer and the warranty manager for my company. We mfg complex control systems for the crane industry and when a customer has a problem it can cost them thousands of dollars for every hour they are down. I don't have alot of "huge" emergencies, however the ones I have had have given me a Pavlovian response to the phone. It rings and my heart skips!
Lately I have been telling myself before I pick up the phone "Cory, whatever is on the other end of the line, you can handle it". That has helped, but days like today when There are 5 or 6 different things that Have got to get done today, I get hurried and instead of taking it one thing at a time I freak! I do them all at once. They always get done and I do a great job, but I just can't seem to take it slow and do it one at a time.
I have the same pattern at home on stuff I do around the house, but not as severe.
Another big problem that hurts the "hurry up" is when I get into a situation that I don't know how to solve. It is very frustrating and difficult. I do the best I can, but it gets scarry when I have doubts.
Alot of my deadlines are self-impossed. I am sorry for the rambling, but I just wanted to give a little background.
I am sorry for all the whinning and freaking out, but it just seems to help to know that I am not "crazy" and that what I am dealing with can be treated and lived with.

You know, from my experience, "crises" are minimized if I can keep a calm demeanor (not easy for someone like me, but I'm learning). If the client sees me panic, then they panic. If I stay calm, then they stay calm.

Are you on any anxiety meds, Chitown? Lexapro has helped me enormously in this area.

I take Luvox, neurontinin, and xanax xr. They have really helped.