Anxiety/panic attacks and bi polar/depression

[shakingleaf]

Can someone help me understand the difference. I'm on bi polar med and have been since march of last year. I suffer from what I think (understand to be) panic attacks, cause by anxiety..... I was just put on another med (which it says is for) depression....

I would just like a little more insight.
thanks

[Nechtan]

The states themselves are very different but I think when it comes to treatment they seem to stick depression and anxiety in the same basket. And in your own case that seem to be the case with your medication.

I've never suffered from depression but when I had the psychiatric nurse visit me for 3 months everything was geared around depression rather than anxiety and I gave up in the end because it didn't help me at all.

But I did know a woman who has been agoraphobic for over a decade and has never suffered depression. Last year she was administered Prozac which I was bemused by and now she is out and about living a fairly full life after 10 years confined in the house. So although the are very different beasts there must be some link there between them with it comes to medication at least.

All the best

Nechtan

[Dahlia]

Hello Shaking Leaf

My doctor told me that the same neurotransmitters are implicated in both depression and anxiety (e.g. serotonin, noradrenaline). Therefore anti-depressants work for both disorders.

Some bipolar or anti-psychotic drugs are also sometimes given for anxiety or insomnia but in low dosages. Drugs can have different effects at different dosages - so are used for a variety of disorders.

Hope that helps.

Dahlia