Depression and Anxiety Affect More Than Just Your Mind

Mental illness is often misunderstood. Depression is not just feeling sad. Anxiety is not just feeling worried. They are more than that, and they affect almost every area of our lives.

And they may be more common than you think.

Every year (in the U.S.), 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness. Anxiety is one of the most common, affecting 21% of adults every year. Depression affects 8% of adults and 15% of youth each year.

It might be you. It might be someone you love. It might be both. So, let’s talk about it.

How it Affects What You Do

Experiencing depression or anxiety can make us want to withdraw from the world, stop spending time with family or friends, and stay at home, preferably in bed. You might become quiet or start snapping at people. The things you used to love doing, like yoga, gardening, or whatever your thing is, may not feel fun anymore.

How it Affects Your Body

Most people have heard that depression can lead to suicide. This alone is devastating. But did you know that it can complicate other health conditions you may already have and make you more susceptible to others? People with depression are 40% more likely to develop cardiovascular and metabolic diseases than the general population.

Anxiety is hard on your body, too. It can lead to chronic health problems, like heart disease, stomach and digestive issues, and a weakened immune system.

How it Affects Your Relationships

As your friends and family notice these changes, they may begin to worry. They may or may not understand what’s happening. Either way, it adds to their stress, which will probably add to yours. All of this stress may make you snippy with one another. Frustration increases. Communication suffers. And now you may feel even more alone.

How it Affects Your Work

Oof. Work. This can be a big challenge when you are having trouble focusing or even getting out of bed to start the day, which, let’s face it, is so hard. You won’t feel engaged and may feel less productive. You may call out sick more often. Mental illness can make it hard to even hold a job. Unfortunately, unemployment rates are higher for people with mental health challenges.

How it Affects Your Money

Suffering is not cheap. You may rack up medical bills for things directly and indirectly related to or made worse by depression and anxiety. You may have medication or other treatments to pay for. Therapy sessions are expensive and often not covered by insurance. And since we already talked about how depression and anxiety can affect your work, there may be less money coming in, which guess what… increases your depression and anxiety.

The Point Is…

Whether you experience depression or anxiety or know someone who does, it’s important to understand that these mental illnesses affect more than just the mind. They touch all areas of our lives and affect family, friends, and colleagues. Getting better is not as simple as just calming down or choosing to be happy. These are serious issues needing serious support.

What You Can Do

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, reach out for help now. Don’t wait. You don’t have to be in a life-threatening crisis to seek assistance. If you are suffering in any way, you are worthy of help.

It may mean:

• talking to a doctor or mental health professional

• leaning on family or friends

• finding a support group in your community or online

• calling or texting a crisis line, like 988 in the U.S.

It might mean a combination of these. What it doesn’t mean is suffering alone. Take a step. Make a call. Acknowledge that help might be … you know, helpful.

References

Curious where I get my information? A big part of it is lived experience — my own, my mother’s, my husband’s, my friends’. I’m also working on a master’s in psychology for public mental health, so I come across a lot of information. For this particular article, I referenced the following:

• American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.).

  • Anxiety Disorders: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.x05_Anxiety_Disorders

  • Depressive Disorders: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.x04_Depressive_Disorders

• Mayo Clinic

  • Anxiety Disorders. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961

  • Depression (major depressive disorder). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007

• Mental Health America

  • Anxiety: https://mhanational.org/conditions/anxiety

  • Depression: https://mhanational.org/conditions/depression

• NAMI. (2022, June). Mental Health By the Numbers. https://www.nami.org/mhstats

• World Health Organization. (2021, September 13). Depression. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression