Clinical Depression Symptoms vs. Anxiety Symptoms--HOW?

<font color="blue">Hi Guys and Gals-
I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder without Agoraphobia. Basically, last month or so, I have not found much enjoyment in things I usually would. I don't like to go outside anymore, so I hardly do. I don't do things with people I formerly considered friends (they weren't real friends anyway), and I hardly do... anything, anymore. I'm tired feeling a lot, but I think that's from the insomnia that is present. I don't cry about things except very rarely (not that crying is bad), and I stopped exercising. I kinda gave up on my college classes that I wasn't doing well in, and stopped attending.

I feel... something akin to sadness, but it doesn't seem to be traditional depressive symptoms like Major Depressive Disorder or Dysthymia. This is pretty new to me... I heard of something called "Atypical" Major Depressive Disorder features, but I don't know if it fits. It's not Dysthymia (chronic low-grade depression) because it has to be for two years to be diagnosed with Dysthymia. What are your guys opinions? Any input and suggestions would be welcome!!!!!!!! Thanks.</font>

I don't find that psychiatric diagnoses help me understand what is going on. Just the opposite. I feel symptoms within myself of lots of supposedly different disorders. That seems to confuse the professionals.

Any disorder is rarely just one thing. Depression, for example involves anxiety, and anger too... which is why you need to rely upon a doctor to diagnose. And even then as they observe and you share with them, they might adjust, or add to the original dx.

It doesn't really matter exactly what it is that you would be labeled, once you are in the ballpark...because no matter what the label, it doesn't change who you are and how you are suffering. It will help you, being in the general area of symptomology, to find ways to heal and feel better though.

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In my research that kind of depression is called unspecified depression or depressive disorder nos. If you get too caught up in labels it will consume you eventually. My doctor has accepted that there is no textbook answer to my depression. I have "Philip Depression" and not MDD or Dysthymia simply. It's more complex than that, and somewhere I'm glad. Maybe they should write something in the DSM about me and my case. New category? (That was a bad joke)

Find ways to recover without labels. Skip them all together if you can. Life and the kind people here have taught me that. Going from OCD and clinical depression to schizophrenia, to bipolar disorder to schizoaffective disorder to schizophrenia again and back to depression should have been evidence enough that labels are a waste of time.

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_Sky said:
Any disorder is rarely just one thing. Depression, for example involves anxiety, and anger too... which is why you need to rely upon a doctor to diagnose. And even then as they observe and you share with them, they might adjust, or add to the original dx.

It doesn't really matter exactly what it is that you would be labeled, once you are in the ballpark...because no matter what the label, it doesn't change who you are and how you are suffering. It will help you, being in the general area of symptomology, to find ways to heal and feel better though.

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<font color="blue">I've been diagnosed by my T, a PhD clinical psychologist; but for me at least, understanding the nuances of the various disorders helps me to understand what is going on. I find it pretty vital, in fact. What if, for example, I was told I had XYZ disorder by Dr. SO-And-So, and I start taking medication for it. I go home, and I review what the disorder really is, and whammo!! The symptoms stated here, don't match me at all!! OMG! SO... let's say I find out I was taking Lithium for Bi-Polar Disorder II and I really have Major Depressive Disorder with Psychotic Features.. well, Lithium isn't much of a help for Major Depressive Disorders. But that's just an example. I have had something similar to that happen in the past though, and believe me, I went for a second opinion somewhere else. Which is how I ended up with my T I have currently. I'm fortunate actually; I never have believed in diagnosis as a societal construct. Labels are useless; diagnosis are not. Diagnosis are helpful to discover what is really going on. I believe in the positive power of the proper diagnosis. </font>

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Psychotic_Phil said:
In my research that kind of depression is called unspecified depression or depressive disorder nos. If you get too caught up in labels it will consume you eventually. My doctor has accepted that there is no textbook answer to my depression. I have "Philip Depression" and not MDD or Dysthymia simply. It's more complex than that, and somewhere I'm glad. Maybe they should write something in the DSM about me and my case. New category? (That was a bad joke)

Find ways to recover without labels. Skip them all together if you can. Life and the kind people here have taught me that. Going from OCD and clinical depression to schizophrenia, to bipolar disorder to schizoaffective disorder to schizophrenia again and back to depression should have been evidence enough that labels are a waste of time.

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I have INSANE MAX DISORDER!! LOL, but really, I understand what some doctors/psychiatrists and psychologists do with LABELS sometimes. I also realize how incredibly stigmatizing mental health disorders are in the general public. I think that part of what you're trying to say is that labels are useless---I agree. I also think that you are saying that everyone manifests their disorders in different ways--I agree too. But, I'd have to say that certain treatments work better for one disorder vs. another, so accurate diagnosis is the first step. Sometimes if given the wrong diagnosis, you have the wrong treatment, which can be harmful even. Labels should never be used to identify a person. I am not "THE PANIC DISORDER PATIENT IN ROOM 10" or whatever. I'm a normal human being~~~because ALL OF US, every human on earth, is NORMAL.

I sorta explained this in another post in this thread, but I find that the more accurate the diagnosis, the more accurate the treatment.

Forget labels. Though I have found anxiety and depression 2 sides of the same coin. Both excrutiating!!!Depression is anger turned inward (Self-hatred) .