Does anyone get anxious about worrying they are depressed?

[mlondon]

Hi

I don't know if I am feeling depressed or it is something I have just fixated on as I have done in the past with many 'dangers'. I have gone through some major life changes but they are all for the better. I have moved house (and country) to be with my partner and have started studying, to do so I have left my job. I love being with my partner and like making our place nice. Uni I am not so into at the moment which worries me as I have just started. I think i might be a bit burnt out, my job was really stressful and I have only just finished it. Whenever I get a feeling in my chest like a heavy feeling, I think 'i am depressed' and then I think 'what if I can't get through it and I end up doing something harmful to myself' but I don't want to do anything like this. Then I think 'oh no i am feeling hopeless' and begin to panic. Sometimes i do think, what is the point of life, but I still have happy feelings too. So I think maybe I am just having obsessive intrusive thoughts which is very common with me and my anxiety. Usually my anxiety comes in and goes, but this has stuck around for a while now but then I have been going through changes in my life for the last 6 months and things are finally beginning to settle. I am seeing a therapist on thursday which should help. But part of me thinks I am a little low and burnt out as well. The two together (depression and anxiety) really scares me. Any advice please?

[Charlotteee89]

Oh gosh this is me all over!

I went through a horrible few weeks of having intense suicidal intrusive thoughts which knocked me for six - I thought I was going crazy! I was in a state and couldn't control them. It all started after a bad bout of anxiety, I was reading something up on the internet and came across depression and as soon as I read the words 'suicidal thoughts' BAM it started. The thoughts made me feel physically sick and brought on panic attacks.

I kind of figured out on my own that I was experiencing 'obsessive thoughts' which are very common with anxiety. That helped calm me down. It's the same as when someone is having intrusive thoughts of harming someone they care about. Look up 'obsessive thoughts' or 'obsessive thinking'. :)

You probably are just mentally and physically exhausted (Like I was) and your anxiety is grabbing hold of those feelings and time-sing them by 100 and trying to make sense of them and trying to find 'a reason' for them.

Over-analyzing is major issue when you have anxiety!

[mlondon]

Thanks this helps. I am still feeling it every so often.

[Jo1970]

I feel completely like this. I have very bad anxiety and am so down about how I feel I also have depression. Then I start panicking or thinking that I wont survive this, I wont get better, this is hopeless ...what if I harm myself...... I really fear the symptoms of depression and what it may lead to. The Robin Williams tragedy didn't help.

[mlondon]

Thanks Jo, this is how I feel too. You are not alone. My therapist says 'Fake it until you become it'. Today I am going to try and do that. I also have a book called Get Out of Your Mind and into Your Life, its based on acceptance and commitment therapy. So I am going to read that too.